Newspaper Page Text
IVibute to
Henry Sopkin
He brought musical pleasure to thousands and thou
sands through his pioneering with the Atlanta Sym
phony. His son worked for several months on The
Southern Israelite staff while finishing college. The
former Atlanta maestro is currently living in Cali
fornia, leisurely writing, composing and contemplat
ing an unhurried connection with some college
faculty.
by CLARICE GEIGERMAN
When we boast about Atlanta
. . . our fine homes . . . our good
schools . . . our excellent news
papers, radio and TV stations
. . . our modern hospitals . . . we
talk with pride about our Sym
phony. In the heart or our city
there is the Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra. It belongs to us.
With the beating of Atlanta’s
heart comes a pulse message
that grows stronger with every
passing day ... “I am growing,
growing, growing . . .” Today,
the Atlanta Symphony Orches
tra stands among the major
symphonies in the country,
and the man who with his
knowledge, determination, grit,
and unbending devotion is re
sponsible for the growth of our
Symphony is Henry Sopkin.
We salute Mr. Sopkin for his
21 years of dedication and ac
complishment in giving us one
of our city’s greatest gifts . . .
our Atlanta Symphony Orches
tra.
Let’s look back at the birth
of the Atlanta Symphony in
November, 1944. It was found- ,
ed by the Atlanta Music club
as a Youth Symphony. Mrs
James O’Hear Sanders was
president at the time. Its pri
mary purpose was to bring
serious music to the younger
generation; to give professional
opportunity to young Georgia
The Southern Israelite
musicians; and, within a rea
sonable period of time to
establish a native and fully
professional Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra. Its first conductor
was Henry Sopkin. At age 41,
Maestro Sopkin came to At
lanta to create an orchestra,
and during the term of his
eight-month contract, he con
ducted four concerts on a bud
get of $5,000 . . . three-fifths of
which was his salary. On April
6, 1966, he conducted the last of
his 1,000 concerts with the
orchestra, w'hich he developed
into a major symphony, udth
a budget of $300,000. Quite a
feat for a man, who a genera
tion back, came to Atlanta,
lived in various cramped quar
ters with his wife and two sons,
and was sustained by the work
he loved so much—conducting.
“He did everything in those
days,” stated Norman Shavin.
Atlanta Constitution colum
nist, “He swept the floors, turn
ed on the lights, set up the
music stands, handed out the
tnusic, cajoled and begged to
Iceep the orchestra going." And
keep it going he did. w'ith such
flourish that today it stands as
one of Atlanta’s greatest assets.
Henry Sopkin, conductor of
the Atlanta Symphony from its
inception through April, 1966,