CHAMPION OF CLASSICAL MUSIC JAMES ALBERT SWIFT WAS HEAD OF NEW VALLEY SYMPHONY.Byline: Holly Andres Staff Writer With a passion for classical music, James Swift will be remembered for championing the genre as the founder, conductor and musical director of the New Valley Symphony Orchestra Valley Symphony Orchestra could mean:
Swift, a former resident of Northridge and Paradise Cove in Malibu, died in his sleep Nov. 15 in Laguna Hills La·gu·na Hills A city of southern California southeast of Santa Ana. Population: 33,600. . He was 89. ``He wanted to spread the music around. He wanted to get classical music exposed to a noncultural society,'' said Chuck DeNet, treasurer and chief financial officer of the 50-member orchestra. ``He really enjoyed playing classical music to young people and seeing their eyes light up both to the music and the musicians in a full symphony orchestra.'' Born into a musical family on May 1, 1915, in St. Paul St. Paul as a missionary he fearlessly confronts the “perils of waters, of robbers, in the city, in the wilderness.” [N.T.: II Cor. 11:26] See : Bravery , Minn., James Albert Swift learned to play the violin at an early age. He earned engineering and music degrees from the University of Minnesota (body, education) University of Minnesota - The home of Gopher. http://umn.edu/. Address: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. , and worked many years for Lockheed after moving to Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, in the 1950s. He also took over the leadership of the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. Symphony in 1953. In 1968, Swift established the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Solo Repertory Orchestra, which was renamed the New Valley Symphony Orchestra in the late 1980s. Celebrity musicians and performers, including Henry Mancini, Steve Allen, Lalo Schifrin and Stan Kenton, appeared as guest conductors or soloists with the nonprofit orchestra, which always opened its concerts with a rendition of ``The Star-Spangled Banner.'' ``He was a charming man and absolutely a gentleman always,'' said Sarah Fisk Fisk , James 1834-1872. American railroad financier and speculator who attempted in 1869 to corner the gold market with Jay Gould, leading to Black Friday, a day of nationwide financial panic. , cellist and president of the board of the New Valley Symphony Orchestra. ``Jim was a very fine musician. His favorite composer was Brahms. He loved conducting.'' Fisk described Swift as nurturing, inviting amateur symphonic musicians in the community to gain experience by rehearsing with the orchestra. He was also open to giving unknown composers the opportunity to have their work performed by the orchestra. ``His legacy is that he provided the opportunity for people to perform classical music and for the community to hear it,'' Fisk said of the free concerts the orchestra performs. ``His goal was to get as many people out to play and people to listen to the music. He was the quintessential musician and a grand man.'' Swift is survived by his wife of 67 years, Margie; three children; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. A concert dedicated to his memory will be held at 2 p.m. Dec. 19 in Liberty Hall at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park, Hollywood Hills. Richard Fisk will perform Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat. Call (818) 789-5466. Holly Andres, (818) 713-3708 holly.andres(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: SWIFT |
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