Murray Bernthal
Encyclopedia
Murray Bernthal was a musician and producer long active in Syracuse, New York
. He was a violin
prodigy and a Syracuse University
basketball player.
in 1928 on a partial basketball scholarship, however, he soon abandoned basketball when he was awarded a four-year music scholarship by Mrs. H. Winfield Chapin, wife of a Syracuse entrepreneur, H. Winfield Chapin who was treasurer and general manager of Brown-Lipe-Chapin Company.
During his time at Syracuse University
, Bernthal earned both undergraduate and graduate music degrees.
as a member of the Music department faculty. He stayed until 1977 when he retired as head of the string department.
In addition to his brief stint in college as a basketball
player, Bernthal also had a short career as a sports promoter, semi-professional baseball
player and a professional tennis
player.
For eight years in the 1940s, Bernthal was music director for local Syracuse radio station, WSYR
where he hosted a nightly classical music program. During that period, he worked for general manager, E. R. "Curly" Vadeboncoeur and the two discussed plans for a joint venture.
at the New York State Fairgrounds. Bernthal also directed the series, which brought touring Broadway musicals to Syracuse. As a concert and theater impresario, he was credited with bringing many major artists and performers to the area who usually played only in larger cities. For many years, he welcomed a variety of stars to Central New York
such as: Gloria Swanson
, Charlton Heston
, Tom Jones
, Zsa Zsa Gabor
, Bela Lugosi
, Beverly Sills
, Luciano Pavarotti
and Arthur Rubinstein
.
The partners next founded the Fayetteville Country Playhouse, a summer stock theater in the old Fayetteville High School. Actors, Joan Fontaine
, Melvyn Douglas
and Olivia de Havilland
appeared in many productions. Vadeboncoeur and Bernthal abandoned their partnership in the 1950s and Bernthal renamed the organization to Famous Artists Playhouse.
Throughout his long career, he brought many musicals and events to Syracuse's Crouse Hinds Theater at the John H. Mulroy Civic Center. He also steered many shows to Landmark Theatre
as well as other venues. In the beginning, Bernthal chose classical musicians such as Jascha Heifetz
, Isaac Stern
and the London Philharmonic Orchestra
, however, he adapted to the changing music and theater scene as the public's taste changed. Over a period of 64 years, he presented hundreds of Broadway plays and musicals in Syracuse.
In October 2010, Bernthal sold his share in the business to his longtime partner, Albert Nocciolini. The two met in 1974 when Bernthal was booking a tennis exhibition match between Jimmy Connors
and Ilie Năstase
.
Famous Artists Broadway Theater Series continues to this day.
By 1961, he was performing with the predecessors of today's Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
where he was concert violinist from 1961 to 1966. Soon after, he directed the Syracuse Pops for four years.
during the 1970s when local developers threatened to tear it down.
He was survived by his wife, Sherly Day Bernthal, daughter, Barbara Bernthal Schlesinger and son, Eric Bernthal. Grandson, Adam Schlesinger
, performs with the band Fountains of Wayne
. Another grandson, Jon Bernthal
is a television and film actor of the hit cable series, The Walking Dead
.
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. He was a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
prodigy and a Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
basketball player.
Biography
Murray Bernthal was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 15, 1911. From a young age, he was a classically trained violinist. He attended Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
in 1928 on a partial basketball scholarship, however, he soon abandoned basketball when he was awarded a four-year music scholarship by Mrs. H. Winfield Chapin, wife of a Syracuse entrepreneur, H. Winfield Chapin who was treasurer and general manager of Brown-Lipe-Chapin Company.
During his time at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, Bernthal earned both undergraduate and graduate music degrees.
Early career
In 1932, after finishing college, Bernthal was hired by Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
as a member of the Music department faculty. He stayed until 1977 when he retired as head of the string department.
In addition to his brief stint in college as a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, Bernthal also had a short career as a sports promoter, semi-professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player and a professional tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player.
For eight years in the 1940s, Bernthal was music director for local Syracuse radio station, WSYR
WSYR (AM)
WSYR is a 5,000 watt radio station licensed to Syracuse, New York. Owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications, it broadcasts a talk radio format under the moniker "Newsradio 106.9 WSYR." It was previously billed as "Newsradio 570 WSYR" until it became a simulcast with WPHR-FM in January...
where he hosted a nightly classical music program. During that period, he worked for general manager, E. R. "Curly" Vadeboncoeur and the two discussed plans for a joint venture.
Broadway theater series
In 1946, he co-founded the Famous Artists Broadway Theater Series with his employer and business partner, E. R. Vadeboncoeur. Both contributed $200 for the start up. The first presentation was a concert by the Boston Symphony OrchestraBoston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
at the New York State Fairgrounds. Bernthal also directed the series, which brought touring Broadway musicals to Syracuse. As a concert and theater impresario, he was credited with bringing many major artists and performers to the area who usually played only in larger cities. For many years, he welcomed a variety of stars to Central New York
Central New York
Central New York is a term used to broadly describe the central region of New York State, roughly including the following counties and cities:...
such as: Gloria Swanson
Gloria Swanson
Gloria Swanson was an American actress, singer and producer. She was one of the most prominent stars during the silent film era as both an actress and a fashion icon, especially under the direction of Cecil B. DeMille, made dozens of silents and was nominated for the first Academy Award in the...
, Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
, Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, Zsa Zsa Gabor
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Zsa Zsa Gabor is a Hungarian-born American stage, film and television actress.She acted on stage in Vienna, Austria, in 1932, and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She emigrated to the United States in 1941 and became a sought-after actress with "European flair and style", with a personality that...
, Bela Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
, Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s. In her prime she was the only real rival to Joan Sutherland as the leading bel canto stylist...
, Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
and Arthur Rubinstein
Arthur Rubinstein
Arthur Rubinstein KBE was a Polish-American pianist. He received international acclaim for his performances of the music of a variety of composers...
.
The partners next founded the Fayetteville Country Playhouse, a summer stock theater in the old Fayetteville High School. Actors, Joan Fontaine
Joan Fontaine
Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland , known professionally as Joan Fontaine, is a British American actress. She and her elder sister Olivia de Havilland are two of the last surviving leading ladies from Hollywood of the 1930s....
, Melvyn Douglas
Melvyn Douglas
Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg , better known as Melvyn Douglas, was an American actor.Coming to prominence in the 1930s as a suave leading man , Douglas later transitioned into more mature and fatherly roles as in his Academy Award-winning performances in Hud...
and Olivia de Havilland
Olivia de Havilland
Olivia Mary de Havilland is a British American film and stage actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1946 and 1949. She is the elder sister of actress Joan Fontaine. The sisters are among the last surviving leading ladies from Hollywood of the 1930s.-Early life:Olivia de Havilland...
appeared in many productions. Vadeboncoeur and Bernthal abandoned their partnership in the 1950s and Bernthal renamed the organization to Famous Artists Playhouse.
Throughout his long career, he brought many musicals and events to Syracuse's Crouse Hinds Theater at the John H. Mulroy Civic Center. He also steered many shows to Landmark Theatre
Landmark Theatre (Syracuse, New York)
The Landmark Theatre, originally known as Loew's State Theater, is an historic theater from the era of "movie palaces", located on South Salina Street in Syracuse, New York, United States. Designed by Thomas W. Lamb, it is the city's only surviving example of the opulent theatrical venues of the...
as well as other venues. In the beginning, Bernthal chose classical musicians such as Jascha Heifetz
Jascha Heifetz
Jascha Heifetz was a violinist, born in Vilnius, then Russian Empire, now Lithuania. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time.- Early life :...
, Isaac Stern
Isaac Stern
Isaac Stern was a Ukrainian-born violinist. He was renowned for his recordings and for discovering new musical talent.-Biography:Isaac Stern was born into a Jewish family in Kremenets, Ukraine. He was fourteen months old when his family moved to San Francisco...
and the London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
, however, he adapted to the changing music and theater scene as the public's taste changed. Over a period of 64 years, he presented hundreds of Broadway plays and musicals in Syracuse.
In October 2010, Bernthal sold his share in the business to his longtime partner, Albert Nocciolini. The two met in 1974 when Bernthal was booking a tennis exhibition match between Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors
James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....
and Ilie Năstase
Ilie Nastase
Ilie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the...
.
Famous Artists Broadway Theater Series continues to this day.
Orchestra violinist and conductor
In the 1940s, Bernthal founded and conducted several orchestras and classical music ensembles including the Syracuse Sinfonietta which he conducted for seven years. He was also associate conductor of the Utica Symphony for three seasons and organized Triple Cities Youth Orchestra in 1948.By 1961, he was performing with the predecessors of today's Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra was a 79 member orchestra located in Syracuse, NY. In its time it was the 43rd largest orchestra in the United States and performed a variety of programs including the Post-Standard Classics Series and M&T Bank Pops Series....
where he was concert violinist from 1961 to 1966. Soon after, he directed the Syracuse Pops for four years.
Civic contributions
Bernthal and his first wife, Rose, were instrumental in saving the Landmark TheatreLandmark Theatre (Syracuse, New York)
The Landmark Theatre, originally known as Loew's State Theater, is an historic theater from the era of "movie palaces", located on South Salina Street in Syracuse, New York, United States. Designed by Thomas W. Lamb, it is the city's only surviving example of the opulent theatrical venues of the...
during the 1970s when local developers threatened to tear it down.
Awards and recognition
Bernthal received the Post-Standard Achievement Award from The Post-Standard, a Syracuse news publisher in February 1995.Personal life
Murray Bernthal died on December 9, 2010 at his home in Syracuse at age 99 from natural causes. He was predeceased by his first wife, Rose Wartsky Bernthal in 2002. During their years together, the couple was involved in music and theatrical productions as well as many civic activities in Syracuse.He was survived by his wife, Sherly Day Bernthal, daughter, Barbara Bernthal Schlesinger and son, Eric Bernthal. Grandson, Adam Schlesinger
Adam Schlesinger
Adam Schlesinger is an American songwriter, composer and record producer. He has been nominated for Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy , and Golden Globe Awards. He is also a winner of the ASCAP Pop Music Award....
, performs with the band Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne is an American power pop band that formed in New York City in 1996. The band consists of members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.-Early years:...
. Another grandson, Jon Bernthal
Jon Bernthal
Jonathan E. "Jon" Bernthal is an American actor, best known for his role on the AMC television series The Walking Dead.-Early life:...
is a television and film actor of the hit cable series, The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead (TV series)
The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic horror television series developed for television by Frank Darabont and based on the ongoing comic book series, The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard...
.
External links
- Famous Artists Broadway
- Famous Artists maestro Murray Bernthal has taken his last bow, Syracuse New Times, 12-14-2010