Biography
Praise for Don Anderson
“(Don’s) writing style is scholarly yet accessible, making it conducive to
the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s need for program notes to appeal to
and engage audiences with varying degrees of knowledge about classical
music. He is reliable, dependable and flexible. He has accommodated changes
in program promptly, allowed us to use his notes on our website, and has
never missed a deadline.”- Bret Dorhout, Vice President for Artistic Administration,
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
formerly Artistic Administrator, Philadelphia Orchestra;
Director of Artistic Operations, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra bretd@slso.org“I truly enjoy working with Don Anderson on our season brochure every year. He is prompt and reliable and always produces concert descriptions that are compelling and well-researched. His flexibility is essential, as concert programs change and deadlines fluctuate. I would highly recommend his work to other orchestras!”
- Lisa Mackay, former Director of Sales and Promotions,
Toronto Symphony Orchestra“Don Anderson is one of those crazy characters whose passions carry you
along on a tidal wave of enthusiasm. His knowledge, and love, of all things
musical inspire all those who find they cannot escape his laser beam. Be
warned!”- Tony Palmer, award-winning British filmmaker and author www.tonypalmer.org
“In everything he does, Don Anderson is a perfectionist. He was a tremendous resource and assistance to me during my 12 years with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. His fund of knowledge about music and musicians has been of inestimable value to me and the WSO. He is extremely efficient and very prompt to every request I have made of him. In short, Don is a very hard worker with an interesting mind and wide ranging intelligence. He is an excellent writer. He is a team player yet with a strong individual strength. All of these attributes are supported by initiative. It is a great pleasure to recommend Don. I should say also that it is the rare exception to express one’s endorsement of an individual as wholeheartedly as this.”
- Bramwell Tovey, Music Director, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Principal Guest Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl;
formerly Artistic Director, Winnipeg Symphony OrchestraDON ANDERSON
Don Anderson is an internationally recognized advocate of classical music. He has more than 35 years’ experience in celebrating it through print, radio, and teaching. He is the author, publisher and distributor of the best-selling book Tuning the Forks: A Celebration of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. It has been hailed as “the best book on music-making in Canada (and for that matter, much wider afield) that I’ve ever read, and a serious work of art in itself.” – Bramwell Tovey
Don is one of North America’s most widely published authors of program notes. Since he began writing them 30 years ago, he has written 150 seasons’ worth, for more than 20 orchestras, chamber ensembles and schools, from British Columbia and California to New York and Vermont, from Manitoba and Minnesota to Texas and Arkansas, and as far afield as the United Kingdom and Switzerland. His clients include the major symphonies of Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Rochester (New York) and Fresno (California). He has also written notes for touring performances by the orchestras of Montreal, Ottawa (National Arts Centre Orchestra) and Quebec, as well as feature articles for many of his clients. For the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, he has also written season brochures and concert presentations, and has given intermission chats in tandem with word-class solo artists.
His notes have embellished performances by a “who’s who” of today’s most acclaimed musicians: Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Renée Fleming, Lang Lang, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Mstislav Rostropovich, Daniel Barenboim, Charles Dutoit, Maxim Vengerov, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Joshua Bell, Frederica von Stade, Samuel Ramey, Sir James Galway, Pinchas Zukerman, Emanuel Ax, Ben Heppner, Karita Mattila, Marc-Andre Hamelin, Valery Gergiev, Michael Tilson Thomas, Neeme Järvi, Sir Andrew Davis, Marin Alsop and Leonard Slatkin among them. They have been distributed at Carnegie Hall, New York in support of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony (2008), and at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, New York in support of the Mannes Orchestra’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony (2009).
Don has researched and/or written scripts for Musically Speaking concerts by the Vancouver and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestras, hosted by such well-known media personalities as Vicki Gabereau, Fred Davis, Leon Cole and Jurgen Gothe. He has interviewed numerous stars of popular music, including Henry Mancini, Shirley Jones, Marvin Hamlisch and Erich Kunzel. His CD liner notes appear on the CBC, Harmonia Mundi, and TSO Live labels.
His closest relationship in the orchestral field has been with his hometown band, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Don was associated with them from 1981 to 2008. His activities included writing program notes, feature articles, season brochures and radio and print advertisements, creating and maintaining the orchestra’s repertoire database, and hosting pre-concert chats (1989-2006).
Don began his association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1982. As producer, writer, music programmer and commentator, he has contributed to such nationally broadcast radio programs as DiscDrive, Northern Lights, Music for a While, Take Five, RSVP, Command Performance, That Time of the Night, Mostly Music, Arts National and Sound Track, Manitoba-area shows including Arts Encounters and the Weekend Morning Show, and several music specials for television. He has also served as a media librarian for more than 20 years.
He has written articles for magazines in Canada and abroad, such as Opera Canada, the SwissAir Gazette, and the program books of England’s Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. He wrote for the Winnipeg Free Press, the city’s major newspaper, over a 25-year period (1977-2002). His contributions included reviews of concerts, recordings, videos and movies, plus feature articles and interviews. He is also a contributor to The Encyclopedia of Manitoba.
Don’s latest activity is hosting musical tours. This past May, he took a group of 14 on a wonderful trip to Vienna and Salzburg. More tours will be planned for the future. Watch this space!
Don has taught continuing education courses in music appreciation at the University of Winnipeg and the Manitoba Conservatory of Music & Arts (MCMA), has given illustrated presentations for Manitoba Opera and the Asper Jewish Community Campus, and served as archivist for the Manitoba Composers Association. He has also given lectures at the University of Toronto (see photo on home page), and the University of Manitoba.
Student comments on Don’s MCMA courses:
I never wanted any of the sessions to end. This course was heaven – it brought me to tears of joy and sorrow. Don obviously puts a great deal of time and energy into preparing his course material, yet his presentation of it seems so effortless – almost like he was there at the time the events took place. Absolutely fascinating, as are all of Don’s courses! His depth of knowledge is astounding, and we are very fortunate to be on the receiving end of all that he prepares and presents to us. Perfect planning, perfect timing, stimulating, and Don draws us all in and holds us in the palm of his hand! Don is as gifted and inspired in his own way as many of the composers whom he teaches. What can one say – Don is outstanding in every respect. I can’t imagine how this could be done better. Don is incredibly knowledgeable in this field. I have been listening to classical music for decades but he still manages to introduce me to new composers and pieces of music, which makes me appreciate even more the beauty of classical music. There is certainly only one Don Anderson, and we are so lucky to have him to share his knowledge with us. It is sometimes hard to put into words how much Don’s courses are enjoyed and appreciated. Don, you are a window on the world of beauty.
