User:Sbkaufman/Harry Gorodetzer

Harry Gorodetzer was a cellist for the Philadelphia Orchestra for 50 seasons.

Mr. Gorodetzer was the last musician hired for the orchestra by famed conductor Leopold Stokowski. In 1936, while still a student at the Curtis Institute, Mr. Gorodetzer auditioned for Stokowski, who was soon to turn over his post as orchestra director to Eugene Ormandy. Ormandy was at the audition, too. He played again for Stokowski when Stokowski conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra's performance of the musical score of Fantasia (film), a 1940 Walt Disney movie. During his career, Mr. Gorodetzer performed with many great musicians.

Mr. Gorodetzer was born to music. His grandfather was a town musician in Ukraine, and his father conducted the Walnut Street Theatre for many years. His brother, Sam, was a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra bass section. As a child, Mr. Gorodetzer began to take violin lessons, but his fingers were too big, so he switched to the cello. After graduating from South Philadelphia High School, he enrolled in the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music and missed his first tour with the school orchestra because he was completing his studies. It was the only tour he missed until he retired in the 1980s.

Mr. Gorodetzer is the grandfather of NYU cognitive scientist Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, and was Dr. Kaufman's primary cello teacher.