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SIIKKMAN FRANK
Musical Director
Talent Under-the-Stars
Productions scheduled by the Municipal Theatre
Under-the-Stars at Chastain Memorial Park include
Showboat, June27-July 9; Call Me Madam, July 11-16;
Vagabond King, July 18-23; Guys and Dolls, July 25-
30; Student Prince, August 1-6; Annie Get Your Gun
August 8-20.
By CLAUICK (JKIGKRMAN
When the Municipal Theater Under-the-
Stars tfets underway this summer, it will
boast one of the finest 20-piece orchestras
in the country — with a new musical di-
,rector — Sherman Frank, who comes to
Atlanta following a series of successful
engagements throughout the country as
,mm*ert pianist and conductor.
I The versatile and handsome young man
[was born on May 4, 1925, in Philadelphia,
jPa., the son of William and Anna Frank.
His father is an employee of the U. S. Post
Office in Philadelphia. His mother is a
devoted and loyal housewife, who realiz
ed that her son had a definite aptitude
fx)r the piano even before he went to kin
dergarten. When Sherman was four year
old, he would pick out tunes on the piano
with one finger. His mother decided that
he was musically inclined and invited a
neighborhood music teacher to discuss
giving her son piano lessons. The teach
er said that Sherman was too young and
suggested waiting a few years. After
Mrs. Frank told her good-bye, she called
Sherman and could find him nowhere. A
frantic search was made, and there hid
ing behind the big sofa was tearv-eyed
Sherman, his heart broken because the
lady thought he was too little to take pi
ano lessons. That did it! Mrs. Frank was
determined that the first teacher’s nega
tive attitude had offended her child, and
that he definitely had a talent which could
not wait. She proceeded to find another
teacher, and when Sherman was four and
a half years old, he began learning his
ABCs on the keyboard.
Anna Frank’s faith in her son’s talent
was not unfounded. At the very young
age of 10. Sherman gave his first public
appearance. He appeared as soloist with
the Philadelphia String Sinfonietta, a
ERIC' MATTSON
Managing Director
group of musicians composed entirely of
the Philadelphia Orchestra and conducted
by Fabian Sevitzky. present conductor of
the Indianapolis Symphony. He played
the Haydn Piano Concerto in F Major and
rceived rave notices by the critics. At
that time, he was studying with Alexan
der Kelberine, and at the same time was
studying composition with Jeanne Behr-
and, one of the foremost exponents of the
native American music in this country.
During the next few successive years,
Sherman gave two full recital programs
in New York City at the Master Institute,
and received excellent reviews.
During his early teen-vears, the young
musician was interested in the normal ac
tivities of his class-mates. He liked to
play ball, to swim and play tennis, but
with the consistant urging of his parents
and with his moral subsconsciousness, he
put practicing and studying before play.
During his high school days, he devoted
practically all his time to his music.
In 1940, when Sherman was 15, he was
auditioned and was accepted under a full
scholarship to the Curtis Institute of Mu
sic in Philadelphia. The audition was
made possible through Jeanne Behrand,
who was on the faculty. Sherman was
accepted as a piano major, studying with
the world-renowned pianist Rudolf Ser-
kin. (He received both his professional
and academic training at Curtis.)
In 1943, when he was 18, Mr. Frank was
divorced completely from music. He was
called into the army, and was put into a
machine gun company. He entered the
Army at Ft. Meade, Md., and shortly
thereafter he was transferred for training
at Ft. McClelland, Ala. After receiving
three months’ training. Soldier Frank was
given an aptitude test, and since most mu
sicians have a very good ear, he was cate
gorized to radio school at Ft. Benning,
There hi was trained as an Infantry Ra
dio Operator, and upon completion of his
course, was sent as an Infantry replace
ment to England. He was stationed at
Honito, a once very famous lace-making
town, in the county of Devonshire on the
southeastern coast of England. He played
many concerts there and in the suround-
ing commuities for soldiers on the posts
GEORGE BEATTIE
Scenic Manager
The Southern Israelite
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