Ivan Romanoff
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Ivan Romanoff (8 March 1914 – 14 March 1997) was a Canadian
conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...
,
violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...
ist,
arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestrat ...
, and
composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...
. For three decades he led the "Ivan Romanoff Orchestra and Chorus" on a variety of radio and television programs for the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...
, on commercial recordings, and in live concerts throughout North America. As a composer he wrote a number of
jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meanings that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually ...
s for Canadian television and radio and incidental music for several
television movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...
s produced by the CBC. He also composed a number of songs that were written in a variety of national styles.


Early life and education

Born Ivan Pezhuk in Toronto, Romanoff was the son of Ukrainian immigrants. As a child he performed in a
mandolin orchestra A mandolin orchestra is an orchestra consisting primarily of instruments from the mandolin family of instruments, such as the mandolin, mandola, mandocello and mandobass or mandolone. Some mandolin orchestras use guitars and double-basses instea ...
and was a violin pupil of Alexander Chuhaldin, Chris Dafeff, Broadus Farmer, and
Kathleen Parlow Kathleen Parlow (September 20, 1890 – August 19, 1963) was a violinist known for her outstanding technique, which earned her the nickname "The lady of the golden bow". Although she left Canada at the age of four and did not permanently return ...
at the
Toronto Conservatory of Music The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM; ), branded as The Royal Conservatory, is a non-profit music education institution and performance venue headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1886 by Edward Fisher (musician), Edwar ...
. He began playing the violin in a number of radio orchestras conducted by Chuhaldin in the early 1930s and was at the same time actively performing in Toronto with Stanley St John's dance band. Soon thereafter he appeared in the Promenade Symphony Concerts and he became active as a violinist with various orchestras at the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...
. He was also heard as a soloist on the CBC programs ''Sixteen Men and a Harp'', ''Gypsy Crossroads'', and ''Russian Ensemble''. From 1943 to 1946 he was a conductor, arranger, and performer for the
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
musical revue '' Meet the Navy''. After
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Romanoff entered the
Academy of Performing Arts in Prague The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (, AMU) is a university in the centre of Prague, Czech Republic, specialising in the study of music, dance, drama, film, television and multi-media. It is the largest art school in the Czech Republic, wit ...
where he studied from 1947 to 1949. His teachers there included Milo Dolenzil (composition), Jindřich Feld (violin), and
Václav Talich Václav Talich (; 28 May 1883, Kroměříž – 16 March 1961, Beroun) was a Czech conductor, violinist and later a musical pedagogue. He is remembered today as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, the object of countless reissue ...
(conducting). At the 1947
Prague Spring Festival The Prague Spring International Music Festival (, commonly , Prague Spring) is a classical music festival held every year in Prague, Czech Republic, with symphony orchestras and chamber music ensembles from around the world. The first festival ...
he conducted the
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra The Czech Philharmonic () is a symphony orchestra based in Prague. Its principal performing venue is the Rudolfinum concert hall. History The name "Czech Philharmonic Orchestra" appeared for the first time in 1894, as the title of the orche ...
in performances of works by Barbara Pentland,
Harry Somers Harry Stewart Somers, CC (September 11, 1925 – March 9, 1999) was a contemporary Canadian composer. Somers earned the unofficial title of "Darling of Canadian Composition." He was a founding member of the Canadian League of Composers (CLC) a ...
, and
John Weinzweig John Jacob Weinzweig (March 11, 1913 – August 24, 2006) was a composer, teacher, and advocate of contemporary Canadian concert music. Born in Toronto, Weinzweig went to Harbord Collegiate Institute, then studied music at the University of Tor ...
.


Career

In 1949 Romanoff returned to his native country and resumed working for the CBC. In 1950 he led a string ensemble for the
CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
program ''Continental Moods''. The following year he worked for a short time as a violist for the Solway String Quartet and served as music director for CBC Radio presentations of
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov. At the time, his name was spelled , which he romanized as Nicolas Rimsky-Korsakow; the BGN/PCGN transliteration of Russian is used for his name here; ALA-LC system: , ISO 9 system: .. (18 March 1844 – 2 ...
's '' May Night'' and C. Hulak-Artemowsky's ''The Cossack beyond the Danube''. In 1953 the CBC gave Romanoff his own radio show, ''Songs of My People'', which featured the "Ivan Romanoff Orchestra and Chorus". The program was presented weekly through 1963, resulting in Romanoff and his orchestra/chorus were featured on a series of other radio shows: ''Continental Holiday'' (1964, 1970–1972), ''Continental Rhapsody'' (1965-1970), ''The Music of Ivan Romanoff'' (1972-1973), and ''Music of Our People'' (1973-1976). Romanoff and his orchestra were also actively performing on
CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
, beginning with his program ''Rhapsody'' (1958-1959) which was the first multilingual folksong-and-dance program nationally broadcast on television in Canada. The group also performed in a number of TV specials during the 1960s. Romanoff continued to lead his orchestra in performances up until his retirement in 1983, touring throughout Canada and the United States and making more than 10 commercial albums, many of them for RCI Records. He died in Toronto in 1997 at the age of 83.


Discography

Ballads of the Cossack, Columbia, 1961 Continental Rhapsody, Capitol / SN-6281, 1968 Ukrainian Rhapsody, Capitol / SN 6299, 1968 Ukrainian Christmas, Capitol / ST-6333, 1969 Romanoff Presents A Continental Affair, Capitol Records, ST-302 Rhapsody with Romanoff, Columbia, FL 245 A Continental Affair To Life, to Love, to Music!,Boot / BOS 7183, 1977


References


External links

* *
Article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
{{DEFAULTSORT:Romanoff, Ivan 1914 births 1997 deaths Academy of Performing Arts in Prague alumni Canadian male composers Canadian male conductors (music) Ukrainian classical violinists Canadian classical violinists Canadian male violinists and fiddlers The Royal Conservatory of Music alumni Musicians from Toronto 20th-century Canadian conductors (music) 20th-century Canadian violinists and fiddlers 20th-century Canadian composers 20th-century Canadian male musicians Canadian military musicians