User:Janetlaylor/sandbox/Nicholas Pappas

New article name goes here Mr. Pappas organized and conducted the Washington Chamber Orchestra in early 1951. He gave the first concert at Catholic University on May 16, 1951 at the concert hall of Catholic University (Drama Theater) during his tenure as a graduate student. The concert was broadcast over radio station WCFM in its entirety.

Nicholas Pappas received his early training at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, where he studied conducting with Ifor Jones, Director of the renowned Bethlehem Bach Choir and the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra. He received his Bachelor and Masters degrees from Catholic University after his years at Peabody.

In 1954, Mr. Pappas accepted the directorship of the U.S. Commerce Symphony Orchestra. On November 14, 1954, Mr. Pappas accepted an invitation to conduct a Young People’s Concert of the Arlington Civic Orchestra in Virginia.

During his second season, the Commerce orchestra increased the number of concerts to eight. Several years later, Mr. Pappas was named to succeed Hendrick Essers as conductor of the Washington Civic Orchestra, first organized in 1934.

One of the achievements Mr. Pappas is most proud of is his participation with the Watergate Concerts. After a long history with the National Symphony Orchestra, dating back to 1935, the Watergate Concerts reemerged shortly after WW II, in the early 1950’s, as the Watergate Summer Symphony Orchestra on the most picturesque and desirable setting for summer concerts. The orchestra performed on a floating stage (“The Barge”) at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial on the Potomac opposite the Lee Mansion. These concerts were funded by the Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) and drew as many as 16,000 viewers on a typical night. Local military bands also performed on the barge during the summer months.

Shortly after the late 1960’s, the barge was removed because of structural damage and not returned as the traffic to and from the National Airport created a noise level far beyond the level of musical tolerance (some reviews at the time noted this distraction). The Watergate Symphony continued to perform outdoors for several more seasons on the steps of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and elsewhere.

In 1958, the Director of the MPTF, Dr. Henry Goldstein, asked Mr. Pappas if he would lead the newly organized Summer Watergate Symphony Orchestra as the regular conductor in a series of 12 concerts on the barge at the base of the Lincoln Memorial. During this period of approximate 13 years, several guest conductors were also included to take part, Including Richard Bales of the National Gallery Orchestra. Under the direction of Mr. Pappas, these concerts included many special performances – among them, George Gershwin night, The National Ballet, Vienese Night, Grand Opera Night (Elaine Malbin, Soprano), and often staged “Die Fledermaus” (a perennial favorite), by Johann Strauss, Jr., Duets by Naomi Blake and Michael Tronze in Verdi’s “La Traviata”, Jacob Barkin and Elaine Scott in Puccini’s “La Boheme” and “The Gypsy Baron” to name a few.

The Charlie Byrd Jazz Quartet also appeared with the Symphony during this period.

Mr. Pappas had the rare opportunity to work under the tutelage of conductors Eugene Ormandy, Georg Szell, and William Steinberg with private and public performances conducting the Philadelphia and Cleveland orchestra, as well as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, where Mr. Pappas was a finalist in an international competition.

In the 1960’s, Mr. Pappas conducted numerous concerts in the Washington area Parks and other venues, and was guest conductor for 2 years at the Stephan Foster Music Camp at Eastern Kentucky College. He also conducted the Baltimore Symphony at the Lyric Theater in Baltimore and the National Symphony at Lisner Auditorium for the Washington National Ballet (Including the Washington Premier of Stravinsky’s “Apollo”).

After Mr. Pappas married, in 1960 at the age of 32, he accepted the position as director of instrumental music at Woodrow Wilson High School. During this period, he developed aspiring players who eventually secured positions with major symphony orchestras, including the Mozarteum Orchestra in Vienna. He also helped develop a student, James Sinclair, who became the conductor of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Pappas continued his conducting career with Concerts in the Parks as well as opera performances in the Washington area.

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