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First Johnson Award To BeBy GLORIA DENKOAm§/$ements EditorA hunger for fine vocal music, a once-contemplated operatic career and the kindness and encouragement offered by community leaders have resulted in an award to encourage other young singers toward careers in opera.Ray C. Johson Jr. whose interest and study of music began during his growing-up years in Amarillo and continued tn New York and California, has established a $1,000 award to be presented in the Amarillo Symphony’s National Artist Auditions heldbi-annually for singers.The award will be presented today for the first time. The recipient is Dudley Stiles, bass baritone of 1. a \v t o n . Okla., who took top honors in the competition held last November. Johnson will make the presentation at ceremonies scheduled this afternoon midway in the Amarillo Sym phony'srehearsal for the concert scheduled Tuesday at. the Civic Center Auditorium.with pianist DavidLively, 15, of St. Louis, also winner in last fall’s competition, will be guest artist for the concert. Their ap pea ranees with the orchestra are part of their awards During this afternoon’s ceremonies, Johnson will also present officials of the orchestra with a plaque on which will he listed names ofwinners of the award.It will be inscribed “Given in memory of Emil S, Myers and Irving Tolzien. both valued friends, both energetic men of music. Music in Amarillo is richer today for their effort in its behalf during many hard and unrewarding years,”The plaque will remain in the orchestra’s possession.The Johnson award is the second fund given the symphony for the National Artist Auditions The $1,000HONOR# a; mettnw TCC*Eddie Meiin, \ m a r i il o businessman and civicworker, will be honored by the West Texas Chamber ofCommerce (MTC( ) at aspecial banquet Thursday, for volunteer members of Texas boards, commissions andagencies.'The banquet will be held at the Inn of the Hills in Kerrvilie.Mel in is a member of the Texas Fine Arts Commission. A partner in the Cooper Melin books and records shop, hefnerly was business manager of the Amarillo Svmphonv.I VGov Preston Smith will be the principal speaker for the banquet.Beverly King of Graham, WTCC president, will present hand illuminated scrolls toMelin and other volunteerworkers on the official boardsbanquet will be the firstevent of a two-day quarterly meeting of the regional boardof directors.Blackburn Award wasestablished in 1966 and is presented annually to winners in the piano and string division, the competitions held on alternate years.Johnson chose to honor Myers and Tolzien because he believes they did the most for music in early Amarillo‘I didn't just pull their names out of a hat.” he said in discussion of his dedication of the award. Both men had a strong influence on me,He credits Myers, his first, voice teacher, with instilling in him a great love of music. Johnson recounted some of the many musical projectsMyers promoted He was long active in the city’s music circies, and it. was Myers who organized the annual presen tation of Handel’s Messiah.” The work hecame a n established event in whichmusicians from over thePanhandle participated.Johnson describes t h eAmarillo of the 1930s as a ‘‘cultural desert ” For him, the only contact with good music came through records, and it was in Tolzien’s recordshop, then the only one in tincity, where Johnson first v. r*tthe elegant 'Otinds of the world's top voices.Johnson recalls the greatconsideration Tolzien gavehim as a boy learning aboutmusic, records andperformers. As did Mvers, Tolzien took active interest in the city's music and played violin in the A m a r i ! 1 o Symphony.The orchestra then was a struggling operation. Johnsonrecal's, with what he called a series of rinky-dink” conductors. One of them used to lean over to one of the string players and ask ‘where are we’ “ he said, laughing over the earnest but pathetic-musical climate. Anything ashard as ‘Rhapsody in Bluewould floor them.”Once Johnson discoveredAMARIIEO SYMPHONY fifth subscription concert:conducted hy Dr, Thomas llohstadt. Soloist, bass-bari-tone Dudley Stiles and pian Lt David Lively. 8 p.m. Tuesday, Civic Center Auditorium.THE PROGRAMBERLIOZ: Symphonic Fan-tastique. Op, 14.DELIBES: Prelude to theSylvia Ballet.KATCHATI RIAN: PianoConcerto.I *VERDI: Ella giammifrom Do.i Carlo.”Tickets are available from the symphony offices. Room 198, Amarillo Budding, 3rd and Polk, and at the Civic( enter box office after 7 p.m. Tuesday. Vdmisson is $5, $4and S3.singing, his hunger for recordings of the great voices was boundless. One summer he had a job pumping gas working 12 hours a day, 13 da.vs out of 14. He figures his pay was about $75 a month and he sfient the check for his first two weeks’ work onrecordings. He bought thefirst four complete operas inhis now vast record collection, and. although the grooves almost meet from side to side,” he still has them1 picked up every LawrenceTibhett and John Charles Thomas record 1 could lay my hands on.” he said. Theywere my early vocal idols.”Johnson's thirst for vocalexcellence took him to NewYork to study, where he eventually met Metropolitan Operagreat Giovanni Martinelli. The famed tenor became histeacher and mentor. Often, w hen invitations c a m e ,i .o ...... - .. —-- ■ ■ ■ i, w-■ m w' . ■ ■■ i i tm , r, 1m - - i ■ — —- — — - — —Presented Today to SingerMartinelli asked Johnson to come along too.On occasion of a Martinelli performance scheduled at the New York City Museum, for opening of an exhibition of a collection of old costumes from the Met. the white maned singer, then in his 60s. mounted the steps of themuseum’s great hall and, instead of singing, spoke to his listeners. “1. a d i e s andgentlemen. Johnson recalls his speech. I am not feelingwell, and I don't think I should sine because of my condition. Instead. I have brought a fellow countryman to sing foryou He then introduced Cesare Siepi who. Johnson reports, sang up a storm.” After Si e pi’s second aria. Martinelli again mounted thestairs where he had made his declination speech and said, his manner now eager, Ladies and gentlemen, 1 feel hetter now 1 will sing for you, and so proceeded with Cielo e Mar ”Although business interests have taklt;~n Johnson awav from the performing field, hislove of singing continues, andthe sounds of his favorites often pour forth from the record player as he works in his home offtce Angus,” a handsome long haired feline, and Snowball,” a massive furry Alaskan Samoyed and a eat whose name T didn’t learn, wander in and out freely, and park themselves in favorite spotsaround the room.Johnson developed great proficiency in his singing and might have pursued a pro fessional career, hut business directed otherwise He is a businessman and investor.During his performing days.he appeared with the Culver City Light Opera Association, played in Kurt Weill's Downin the Valley,” the production held in Glendale, Calif., appeared with the Chuck Carlton Orchestra at the Astor Roof★ ★ ★★ ★ ★★ ★ ★Of culture in a desert . . . JohnsonStn+f Photo by BILL CLOUGHIn New York, and on the Hollywood Breakfast C lub. He had roles with the DallasStarlight Opera Company, and worked with Alan Jones in Firefly” and with John Brownlee in No, No, Nanette and “Blossom Time ”Hie Ray C Johnson Jr. Award is established to encourage young singers and to honor early leaders in music, hut Johnson's interest in the Amarillo Symphony's National Artist Auditions goes evenfurther.When a young performer steps before the orchestra, Johnson probably recalls asimiar moment in 1949, whena young baritone sang with the orchestra, his appearancethe result of his taking tophonors in competition against 25 other young musicians from over the Panhandle.That singer was Ray C. Johnson Jr.MIX OR MATCH SPECIALANY 6 ITEMS• PLAIN DOG •MUSTARD DOG • CHIL! DOG• KRAUT DOG • FRENCH FRIES •SHAKES• LARGE DRINKSF0R00With Coupon With Eoch OrderSUN. - MON. - TUES.ONLY JAN. 19 - 20 - 21Corner of WesternondOlsen Blvd.
Newspaper Details
Amarillo Sunday News Globe
Amarillo, Texas, US
Sun, Jan 19, 1969
Page 23
Full Page
Clipped by
West T.
TX, USA 03 Mar 2023
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