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Toronto Symphony Orchestra photograph collection

series1909-2000, predominant 1962-2000Fonds 329 > Series 1569

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Held by
City of Toronto Archives via City of Toronto Archives
Dates
1909-2000, predominant 1962-2000 (indexed as 1909–2000)
Level
series
Extent
23,897 photonegatives; 9,558 photoprints; 3,478 transparencies; 9 prints; 1 CD-ROM (14 PCD photographs); 15 cm of textual records
Scope & content
Series consists of over 36,500 photographs that the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) amassed in its Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall offices. The photographs were first organized into a collection in 1976, when the orchestra established its own archives under archivist Richard S. Warren. Since then, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Archives was the main repository for photographs acquired and created by the orchestra. The bulk of the orchestra's photographs are dated between 1962 and 2000. There are only a few photographs covering the early years of the TSO under conductors Luigi von Kunits (1923-1931), Sir Ernest MacMillan (1931-1957) and Walter Susskind (1957-1964). These photographs were either purchased from local photographers and newspapers, were publicity portraits, or were personal photographs given to the orchestra by former musicians. When Walter Homburger became the managing director of the TSO in 1962, the orchestra became more diligent about documenting their activities through photography. Many prominent local Toronto photographers, such as Everett Roseborough, Robert J. Bridge, and Dick Loek, were hired by the orchestra to photograph musicians, concerts, tours and other special events. Seiji Ozawa's term as music director and conductor of the orchestra (1964-1969) is therefore well-documented. By the 1970/71 season, the TSO used Norm Scudellari Photography, Ltd. almost exclusively for photographic services. Scudellari served as the orchestra's principal photographer for 16 years, covering the periods under conductors Karel Ančerl (1969-1973), Victor Feldbrill (1973-1975), and Andrew Davis (1975-1988). With over 3,400 of his photographs in this collection, broader aspects of the orchestra are captured to include everything from youth programming to corporate receptions. Scudellari also took pictures of significant events such as the 1982 gala farewell concert at Massey Hall. Beginning in 1986, musician and photographer Brian Pickell became chiefly responsible for photographing orchestral events. The collection includes over 10,000 of his photographs, documenting galas, receptions, concerts, and other official events held under Andrew Davis, Gunther Herbig (1988-1994), and Jukka-Pekka Saraste (1994-2001). Pickell travelled with the TSO on their European tour in 1986, on the Canadian Odyssey tour in 1987, and on the Pacific Rim tour in 1990. He also captured many facets of the TSO administration at work, including board functions and volunteer committee fundraising events. Series also includes photographs taken by longtime TSO trombonist Frank Harmantas, who took hundreds of portraits of fellow orchestra musicians between 1981-1985, and shots of many closed-door TSO rehearsals with famous guest conductors and artists between 1977-1988. Series also contains studio photographs by Larry Miller (1982-1988) and Cylla von Tiedemann (1992-1998), who were frequently hired by the TSO for formal shoots.
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Subjects
Toronto Symphony Orchestra, 1922-; ORCHESTRAS; CONDUCTORS (MUSIC); MUSICIANS
Harvested
2026-10-20T12:20:43Z · source datestamp n/a · toronto
Original metadata as harvested (toronto)