Eugene Linden (conductor)

Eugene Linden
Born	1902
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	Classical
Occupation(s)	Conductor
Instruments	Flute, piccolo
Associated acts	Portland Junior Symphony, Seattle Symphony

Eugene Linden was an American conductor. He conducted the first public performance of the Tacoma Philharmonic Orchestra in March 1934 and directed the Seattle Symphony from 1948 to 1950. He is also credited as founder of the now defunct Pacific Northwest Grand Opera Company.

Linden was born to a musical family in Chicago in 1902. His father was Harry Linden, concertmaster of the Chicago opera orchestra, and his mother was a violinist who began playing at age twelve and was musical director at Chicago's La Salle Hotel.

Harry's four brothers were also musicians, one of which was Anthony Linden, a flautist for the San Francisco Symphony and radio soloist. According to Hilmar Grondahl of the Portland Spectator, Linden led his first orchestra when he was in grade school and knew then of his desire to be a professional conductor. Eugene attended Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon, where he was conductor of the band. Under his leadership the ensemble placed first in three state high school contests and placed second in a fourth. In May 1930, he gained attention as conductor when the Jefferson band participated in the national high school band contest in Flint, Michigan. Of the forty-four bands competing, Eugene (then age seventeen) was the only student conductor. He received recognition and recommendation from John Philip Sousa. Eugene graduated from Jefferson High School in 1930.

Linden's conducting career began with the Portland Junior Symphony (PJS), the first youth orchestra in the United States (established in 1924) which later became known as the Portland Youth Philharmonic. Linden played in the orchestra for several seasons before becoming a student conductor to Jacques Gershkovitch. His conducting premiere came when he conducted Beethoven's Egmont for PJS. By 1930, Linden was promoted to the position of assistant conductor, though he continued playing flute and piccolo in the orchestra. On April 2, 1932 at age twenty, Linden conducted Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt" Suite No. 2 for the final concert of PJS' eighth season.

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