Julius Hegyi (February 2, 1923 – January 1, 2007) was an American conductor and violinist.
He spent his lifetime building orchestras, founding chamber music groups and instilling a passion for music in young and old alike. His belief in contemporary music, especially American music, as conductor, violinist and mentor, brought compelling listening experiences to his audiences. Hegyi was well known for his expert grasp of European repertoire, routinely giving commanding performances of Beethoven and Brahms, for example.
Background
Hegyi was an active proponent of American music, with concerts devoted to world premieres of many composers. He performed works by contemporary European and Chinese composers, as well.
Violinist: Berkshire String Quartet; New York Civic Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conductor; the New York Philharmonic; RCA Victor Symphony; Radio City Music Hall Symphony; the New York City Center Ballet Orchestra; Little Symphony Orchestra, NYC; Contemporary Music Society, Solomon Guggenheim Museum, NYC
Resident Conductor, Florida Philharmonic, 1991 to 1992
Married from 1944 - 1948 to his first wife, Elaine Shapiro. They had one child, Lee Silver born 1945, died 2001.
Married from 1949 - 1950 to his second wife, Martha Jane Bucy of Lubbock, Texas, and they were divorced in 1950. There were no children from this union.
Married from 1953 - 1992 to his third wife, Charlotte Barrier of Lubbock, Texas, and lived in Chattanooga, TN and Williamstown, MA. They had one child, Lisa Hegyi Raymond born in 1962.
Married from 1994 - 2007 to his fourth wife, Nancy King Hegyi.
Survived by widow, Nancy Hegyi, of Fountain Hills, Arizona, sister Louise Larson, daughter Lisa Hegyi Raymond, and grandchildren.
Predeceased by son, Lee Silver, of Plainfield, VT
Performances
Hegyi, in his role as conductor/violinist, performed many world premieres, such as:
John Rockwell wrote in the New York Times "...it can be flatly said that the best performance (and the most unusually interesting piece, too) was Mr. Hegyi's account of Barber's one-movement symphony, which had its premiere in 1936, was revised in 1944 and championed by Artur Rodzinski and Bruno Walter. The score blends considerable passion with Barber's wonderfully characteristic arching lyricism. Mr. Hegyi, who has a good deal of experience with 20th-century American music, given the Albany Symphony's venturesome commitment to that cause, played it with a sure technical command that never got in the way of expressivity."
Discography
Carpenter/Hadley/Mason/Porter, New World Records, Albany Symphony Orchestra, conductor, Julius Hegyi, 1984
New York City
Phoenix, Arizona