Milton Preves (June 18, 1909 in

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– June 11, 2000 in Glenview,

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) was a violist,

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and

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. He was a member of the

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for 52 years, of which 47 years were as principal violist. Preves attended the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

. In 1931, he joined the Little Symphony — a Chicago Symphony training ground—and was promoted to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1934. He became principal violist in 1939, which position he held until he retired from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1986. He played under the batons of all the Chicago Symphony's conductors, up until Sir Georg Solti, except for the Chicago Symphony's founder, Theodore Thomas. Preves was a founding member of the Chicago String Quartet, as well as the music director for

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's North Side Symphony for 26 years. Besides playing the viola, he was a conductor with the Oak Park-River Forest, Wheaton, and Gary symphonies, as well as the Gold Coast Chamber Orchestra. He was also a part of the music faculty at a number of universities:

Chicago Musical College Chicago Musical College is a division of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois, United States. History Founding Dr. Florenz Ziegfeld Sr (1841–1923), founded the college in 1867 as the Chicag ...

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, and

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. In 1963, he resigned as conductor of the Oak Park-River Forest orchestra, because Carol Anderson, a talented

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female violinist whom Preves had recruited for the symphony, was pressured to resign because of her race. The president of the orchestra quickly apologized, and urged Preves to continue to conduct the group. He did not return for 25 years and when he did, it was only to play as a soloist with the orchestra.

Ernest Bloch Ernest Bloch (; ; July 24, 1880 – July 15, 1959) was a Swiss-born American composer. Bloch was a preeminent artist in his day, and left a lasting legacy. He is recognized as one of the greatest Swiss composers in history. Several of his most no ...

dedicated his ''Meditation and Processional'' to Milton Preves. Preves taught many students, some of whom continue to teach, passing down his style.

References

* 1909 births 2000 deaths University of Chicago alumni Roosevelt University faculty Northwestern University faculty DePaul University faculty American classical violists American male conductors (music) 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American male musicians Musicians from Cleveland Players of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra {{violist-stub