User talk:Nicnakorda

Murray Korda, was born August 18th 1928, in Far Rockaway, New York of Hungarian parents. He studied with Jascha Fastofsky, a major exponent and pupil of the great Leopold Auer; and then later in Paris with George Enesco, and in Rome with composer Jacqes Ibert.

Murray made his debut in New York City, at the age of 15, and toured the U.S. with the American Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Morton Gould. After appearing as soloist with the Carmel Bach Festival in 1948, Korda became a resident of Los Angeles, and has the distinction of being the very first violinist to appear & perform on a live telecast, that taking place on KTLA-TV, then at Paramount Studios.

In 1952, although his fame was growing, he enlisted in the US Army. Serving as assistant concert master with the Presidentâs own Army Band, he was stationed in Washington D.C., where he was often called upon to entertain visiting heads-of-state. At the time of his discharge, he had rose through the ranks to that of Master Sergeant.

His long career had taken him to every motion picture and recording studio, and he performed in every facet of his instrumental field. Korda was known as a leading expert of Gypsy music, which heâd researched and arranged for the past forty-five years.

Hundreds of thousands of delighted listeners have become devoted fans through his years of lengthy engagements at Californiaâs most elegant hotels and restaurants, including the Ambassador, the Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly-Wilshire and the Beverly Hilton, where he appeared for eight years with his internationally acclaimed Monseigneur Strings. This spectacular twenty piece orchestra includes twelve violins, viola, cello, bass, accordion, harp and piano, with many of the personnel doubling on woodwinds and brass, adding unique color and versatility in their ability to compete with the top name dance bands, which continues to make his the most sought-after society dance orchestra on the West Coast.

He performed with his orchestra for almost every luminary of the social, musical and entertainment world -- including eight Presidents of the United States: Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush and Clinton. Korda and his Monseigneur Strings played command performances for the reigning monarchs & presidents of thirty eight countries, from Jordan to Korea, Austria to England, Spain to Tonga.

On his latest of four European tours, Korda conducted the Hamburg Symphony and recorded an album for EMI, which was released in Paris on Pathe Records and on Orpheo in the U.S., titled: "My Heart is a Violin". A previous record album was: "The Singing Bird".

Recognition of his efforts and talents were bountiful and richly deserved... On the thirtieth year of Kordaâs presence on the music scene, he was awarded the 1978 Johann Statuette; the Johann Strauss Award, by the Viennese Cultural Society. In 1984, the Monseigneur Strings were honored to perform the opening and closing International receptions at the Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles. And on the east coast, he was guest violin soloist with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra for their fiftieth Anniversary Pops Concert. In 1989, December 16th was officially proclaimed "Murray Korda Day" by the City of Los Angeles, in recognition of his over forty years of outstanding musical contributions to the Cityâs cultural life. Korda had been decorated by the King of Sweden and the Government of Mexico. The City Council of Los Angeles recently presented him with an award acknowledging his 50 years of music. A star on the Walk of Fame in Palm Springs, California was to be dedicated in his honor, later this year. The Government of Austria was to bestow upon him the Order of the Silver Cross, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a non-Austrian citizen.

His arrangements and performances have earned the plaudits of such musical greats as Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Fiedler, Ferde Grofe and Zubin Mehta, while contemporary pop artists Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr. and John Denver were among his ardent admirers.

Murrayâs fame was not limited to just concerts and recordings! He has appeared in numerous TV commercials, from McDonalds, VW, Toyota, Honda, Keystone Beer, and Vias. He has acted in such popular TV shows as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "Rhoda", "Happy Days", "Moon Lighting", "Mister Belvedere", and "Family Matters". Murray had also been seen in movies such as: "True Lies", "Cinderella", "Pillow Talk", "At Long Last Love" and "Death Becomes Her", as well as many more. In fact, he was most recently seen in the pages of People magazine, serenading the guests, bride and groom at Barbra Streisand and James Brolinâs wedding.

In 1979, Murray moved his family from Los Angeles to Orwell, Vermont... in the hopes of finding a better environment to raise his children, as well as a picturesque place to retire. At their Historic Brookside Farms, Murray and his wife Joan opened their estate as a family-run four-season country inn. There, he enjoyed entertaining the innâs many guests, working with his sons and daughters, and playing with his grand children.

Although he was still very busy in Los Angeles, he commuted regularly to his home in Vermont.

Murray was also an active member of the Independence Lodge of F&AM, Member of the York and Scottish Rite bodies, a Shriner in the Rutland Cairo Temple, Legion of Honor - Color Guard, Mount Independence Coalition and The Vermont Antique Dealers Association.

A skilled linguist, Murray could expertly converse in a number of languages. Even though he was famous, it never went to his head, as he never lost the common touch. It was not out of the ordinary to find him happily working around the farm, or in his shop.

A firm believer in giving of himself to his community, Murray never missed playing his violin for every Holiday celebration, often flying back from Los Angeles just in time to accompany the Orwell Congregational Church organist. He often performed an impromptu encore after the services... to a church full of ardent admirers of his musical talents.

On the morning of September 30th, Murray was headed to Yom Kippur services, in Middlebury, not more than 20 minutes from his home, in Orwell, Vermont. Tragically, the man whoâs most recent record album titled, My Heart is a Violin was killed in a head-on collision, when an oncoming car crossed over the center line. Long before their time, both his loving heart and romantic violin have been stilled, forever.

Murray is survived by his mother, Irene; his wife (of forty years) Joan; sons Sandy and Tony, their wives Margaret and Kathy; daughters Elizabeth Porter and Suzy Roorda, their husbands Dane and Case... and 11 grand children: Nick, Hannah, Alex, Kyle, Cassidy, Austin, Elise, Ben, Joshua, Melissa and Emily; and two brothers Robert and Jerome.

A Masonic Memorial Service was held October 3rd at Sandersonâs Funeral Home, Middlebury, Vermont. In addition to his sons, brother Jerome and close friends, three of Murrayâs long time Monseigneur Strings members were also pall bearers: Anthony Giamo, Dan Anderson, and his brother, Robert Korda. Funeral services were held Sunday, October 4th, at Mead Chapel, Middlebury College, followed by a graveside service with Full Military Honors (made more spectacular by the addition of a Civil War Honor Guard, 21 gun salute, canon fire and a bugler playing "Taps") at Mountain View Cemetery in Orwell.

See his music @ http://www.myspace.com/murraykorda & http://www.facebook.com/pages/Murray-Korda/60163055102