Russian Symphony Orchestra Society
| Company type | Orchestra |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1903 or 1904 in New York City, United States |
| Founder | Modest Altschuler |
| Defunct | circa 1918 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Modest Altschuler (founder and director) |
| Products | Orchestral concerts, premieres of Russian and American compositions |
The Russian Symphony Orchestra Society, frequently referred to simply as the Russian Symphony Orchestra, was established in New York City by Modest Altschuler and remained active for a span of fifteen years.
Oscar Levant described the ensemble as "a training ground for concertmasters," highlighting members such as Frederic Fradkin (Boston Symphony), Maximilian Pilzer (New York Philharmonic), Ilya Skolnik (Detroit Symphony), and Louis Edlin (National Orchestral Association). Prior to his appointment as the inaugural conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra in 1918, Nikolai Sokoloff held the position of concertmaster within this orchestra. Other notable alumni include film score conductors Nathaniel Shilkret and Nat Finston, as well as trumpeter Harry Glantz. The orchestra played a pivotal role in the foundation of the New Music Society of America, which was established in December 1905.
This orchestra was responsible for premiering numerous compositions in New York by distinguished composers such as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Igor Stravinsky, and Alexander Scriabin. Among these premieres were Stravinsky's initial symphony, the Symphony in E-flat, and the ballet The Firebird.
The early years
The orchestra’s inaugural public concert took place at Cooper Union Hall on January 7, 1904. The program featured Russian compositions along with the American debut of Rachmaninoff's The Rock. Their subsequent concert included Wieniawski’s Souvenir de Moscou, followed by a rendition of Rachmaninoff’s "'The Cliff'," which is likely the same work.
During the 1904–1905 season, an enlarged ensemble of 85 musicians presented six concerts at Carnegie Hall, showcasing a diverse selection of Russian composers, including Julius Conus. This season was recognized for its innovative programming and spirited performances, although some critiques noted that technical precision had declined compared to earlier presentations. That year marked the first use of a celesta in a U.S. concert setting, as well as several American premieres, such as Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Tale of Tsar Saltan, alongside pieces by Kalinnikov, Arensky, and Mussorgsky.
In the following season, the orchestra offered six Saturday evening concerts and three Sunday afternoon performances at affordable prices, all held at Carnegie Hall. Collaborations included conductor Vasily Safonov, with guest appearances by Rachmaninoff as both conductor and pianist during April 1906 concerts. Pianist Joseph Lhévinne was introduced to American audiences through these events. At Safonov’s suggestion, composer Vasily Zolotarev’s Rhapsodie Hébraïque, inspired by secular Jewish tunes, was performed. Additionally, pianist Raoul Pugno appeared as a soloist performing Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto. By this time, the orchestra had grown to 90 members and was increasingly regarded as a professional ensemble featuring elite soloists.
Soloist Giuseppe Campanari, associated with the Metropolitan Opera, encountered difficulties due to disruptions caused by the 1905 Revolution which delayed shipments of scores from Russia. Performances featuring Tchaikovsky arias were nearly canceled but were salvaged when a local music store provided scores that had been kept for ten years. Despite political upheaval and injury, pianist Josef Lhévinne delivered a well-received performance on January 27, 1906, featuring Rubinstein’s Fifth Concerto.
In December 1905, Altschuler co-established the New Music Society of America to advocate for serious new works by American composers, with the Russian Symphony serving as its resident orchestra. Their inaugural concert in March 1906 included compositions by Edward MacDowell, Henry F. Gilbert, and Arthur Shepherd. Later concerts featured premieres from Henry Holden Huss, David Stanley Smith, Frederick Converse, and showcased violinist Maud Powell.
On March 17, 1906, the orchestra presented the U.S. premiere of Reinhold Glière’s Symphony No.1, alongside new works by César Cui, Alexander Serov, and likely Emil Młynarski’s violin concerto. Due to turmoil in Russia, Rachmaninoff withdrew from his scheduled April appearance; instead, violinist-composer Émile Sauret performed Dvořák’s Violin Concerto. This program also included two compositions by the recently deceased Anton Arensky.
A well-established orchestra
By the conclusion of the 1906 season, the Russian Symphony Orchestra had firmly secured its place within New York's musical landscape. The New York Times highlighted six New York premieres presented by the orchestra that year, with an additional three premieres introduced by the New Music Society. On May 25, Altschuler was reappointed as Director for another three-year term, while Russian Ambassador Baron Roman Rosen continued to serve as honorary president. The Times ranked the ensemble among the city's leading orchestras, alongside the New York Philharmonic, New York Symphony Orchestra, Peoples' Symphony Concerts, and Sam Franko's American Symphony.
The 1906–1907 season featured pianist and composer Alexander Scriabin performing under conductor Vasily Safonov. A review in the Times commended Scriabin’s performance but questioned the maturity of his compositions, also expressing a critical view of Alexander Glazunov's Third Symphony, which was making its American premiere. Nevertheless, the orchestra announced plans for American premieres on January 17, 1907, including Rachmaninoff's Spring cantata and Jean Sibelius's Karelia overture; however, Rimsky-Korsakov's Antar ultimately replaced Rachmaninoff's work. Although recent Russian compositions faced criticism from the Times, soloist Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler received praise for her February 7 rendition of Rubinstein's celebrated D Minor Concerto (No. 4), despite some noted rehearsal challenges with the orchestra.
On February 28, pianist Josef Lhévinne returned to perform an entire program featuring American premieres of Russian compositions by both late masters Mussorgsky and Rubinstein and living composers Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov and Scriabin, who attended the event in person.
That summer, Altschuler traveled to Europe to secure soloists for the upcoming 1907–1908 season, which commenced on November 10 at the New York Hippodrome with violinist Jan Kubelik. The regular season began four days later at Carnegie Hall with Baron Rosen present. The repertoire included American premieres such as Glazunov’s newly composed Symphony No. 8, arrangements of Russian folk melodies by Glazunov, Anatoly Lyadov, and Rimsky-Korsakov, as well as Mussorgsky’s "Great Gate of Kiev." This season also marked violinist Lea Luboshutz’s American debut (then billed as Laya Luboshiz), who received eight curtain calls for her solo in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Cellist May Muklé performed Karl Davydov’s Cello Concerto No. 2 in A minor on February 13, 1908.
Wider acclaim and touring
In 1908, the orchestra earned notable recognition from Russia when Tsar Nicholas II honored orchestra president Frank Seymour Hastings with the Order of Saint Stanislaus for advancing Russian music within America.
During the 1908–1909 season, performances at Carnegie Hall were reduced from six to four concerts, while the orchestra broadened its appearance venues. Carnegie Hall engagements featured distinguished soloists including the debut of 19-year-old violinist Mischa Elman, a return by Josef Lhévinne, and a performance by Alexander Petschnikoff. After a November 1908 trial run in New Haven, Connecticut, they collaborated with the Ben Greet Players on a Carnegie Hall production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream, accompanied by Mendelssohn’s incidental music—this marked the first U.S. presentation combining these elements. The production was reprised at Lake George and Carnegie Hall through early 1910. This partnership extended into a 1910 staging of The Tempest and continued during the 1910–1911 season with additional Shakespearean plays and Sakuntala.
Beyond New York City, the orchestra embarked on extensive tours. Their 1907 itinerary included stops in Chicago, Cincinnati, and Cleveland, featuring pianists Ernest Hutcheson and Ernest Schelling. By 1908, their tours expanded to include West Coast cities. A notable highlight occurred in September 1911 when they performed four distinct concerts within a single day in Pittsburgh, presenting diverse programs that encompassed works by Beethoven, Wagner, Verdi, Puccini, Sibelius, and Scriabin.
The 1910s
The decade commenced with the orchestra revisiting their Midsummer Night collaboration alongside Ben Greet at Carnegie Hall on January 1. On January 20, they presented dancer Maud Allan to the New York public in her American debut. Allan both choreographed and performed dances inspired by Ancient Greek motifs, set to compositions by Anton Rubinstein, Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Grieg. The program alternated between her dance performances and orchestral selections. Shortly thereafter, Sergei Rachmaninoff guest-conducted the U.S. premiere of his Isle of the Dead and appeared as soloist in his Piano Concerto No. 2. Allan continued to showcase her signature piece Visions of Salomé along with other works. On April 4, a benefit concert for Russian immigrants was hosted at the Waldorf-Astoria, featuring soloists and ballet artists Anna Pavlova and Mikhail Mordkin.
The 1910–1911 season incorporated five concerts at Carnegie Hall, interspersed with numerous engagements outside New York and a 20-week nationwide tour. The season opened on November 17 with a refreshed rendition of Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2, which had gained acclaim since its 1901 debut; conductor Altschuler increased the tempo after consulting the composer. The program also included American premieres of Anatoly Lyadov’s Kikimora and Volshebnoye ozero (The Enchanted Lake), Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, alongside vocal pieces by baritone Alexander Heinemann. On December 1, Canadian violinist Kathleen Parlow made her U.S. debut performing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, earning praise for her "remarkable achievement". She returned in February to perform Wieniawski's Violin Concerto No. 2, again receiving high commendation. This concert also marked the American premiere of Stravinsky's Feu d'artifice (Fireworks). Beginning November 21, the orchestra accompanied a two-week engagement of Maeterlinck’s tragedy Mary Magdalene at The New Theatre—the world premiere of this play and the first U.S. presentation of any Maeterlinck work.
On January 19, 1911, pianist-composer Xaver Scharwenka performed his own Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor. The program featured American premieres including Rimsky-Korsakov's Introduction and Wedding Procession from The Golden Cockerel, his Christmas Eve Suite, and a previously omitted waltz from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, concluding with Tchaikovsky's Marche Slave. The February 2 concert showcased the American premiere of Robert Kajanus' Finnish Rhapsody, Rachmaninoff's The Rock, and Parlow’s return with Wieniawski’s concerto. The season’s final concert on February 16 included vocal soloists and a women’s chorus performing excerpts from Tchaikovsky's opera Eugene Onegin, along with American premieres of Rachmaninoff's Fantasie for two pianos, performed by Marie Cracrost and Raymond L. Havens, as well as Glazunov’s From the Middle Ages.
Following an extensive cross-country tour, the orchestra returned in summer to present eight concerts at Madison Square Garden, aiming to reach wider audiences through collaborations with working-class groups such as the Wage Earners' Theatre Leagues; family tickets were priced as low as 50 cents (~$16 in 2023). Each concert was centered around a specific theme: Russian, French, Italian, Slavic and Scandinavian, German and Wagnerian, Symphony, Popular music, and International.
Toward the end of that summer, concertmaster Nikolai Sokoloff resigned along with several other musicians amid differing accounts—management cited personal conflicts whereas Sokoloff pointed to business-related reasons. Karl Klein was appointed as his successor.
External links
- Russian Symphony Orchestra of New York: Chronological Roster, stokowski.org. Features concise profiles of prominent orchestra personnel.