Paul Freeman
American conductor and composer Paul Freeman was born in Richmond, Virginia on 2 January 1936 and studied at the Eastman School of Music, then (on a Fulbright Scholarship) with Ewald Lindemann at Berlin's Hochshule für Musik. He later studied conducting with Pierre Monteux at the American Symphony Orchestra.
He began conducting as music director of the Opera Theatre of Rochester whilst at Eastman, then was associate conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (1968-1970) and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (1970-79), then principal guest at the Helsinki Philharmonic, and music director of the Victoria Symphony in Canada (1979-89).
He founded the Chicago Sinfonietta in 1987 and remained music director until retiring in 2011. From 1996, he was music director and chief conductor of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.
Paul Freeman died in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, on 21 July 2015, aged seventy-nine.
A selection of articles about Paul Freeman
CD Spotlight. Stylish Playing - Some recommended commercial recordings, heard by Bill Newman. 'How dare they!'
CD Spotlight. Lightness of Touch - Brahms and Strauss, heard by Patric Standford. '... a very fine performance by Joshua Pierce ...'
CD Spotlight. Utterly Absorbing - A sampler from Cedille Records, enjoyed by Howard Smith. '... top quality standards.'
Ensemble. Fine Playing - The Czech National Symphony on tour, reviewed by Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. A prodigious composer - Orchestral music by Meyer Kupferman, reviewed by Patric Standford. '... an extrovert, highly charged composer with a vivid sonic imagination and a sure skill in orchestration.'