Murray Bernthal
| Murray Bernthal | |
|---|---|
| Born |
April 15, 1911 Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States |
| Died | December 9, 2010 (aged 99) Syracuse, New York |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) |
college professor conductor, music director violinist |
| Instruments | violin |
| Associated acts | Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Syracuse Pops |
Murray Bernthal (April 15, 1911 – December 9, 2010) was an American musician and producer long active in Syracuse, New York. He was a violin prodigy and a Syracuse University basketball player.
Bernthal was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 15, 1911. From a young age, he was a classically trained violinist. He attended Syracuse University 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.
In 1932, after finishing college, Bernthal was hired by Syracuse University 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.
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 Orchestra 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.
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