Answer: Eugene Ormandy

In 1936, Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985), a Hungarian immigrant and violin virtuoso, was named co-conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra alongside the famed Leopold Stokowski. Two years later, Ormandy was named the orchestra's musical director, though he and Stokowski shared conducting duties until the early 1940s. Ormandy would go on to serve with the Philadelphia Orchestra until 1980.

Under Ormandy's reign, the Philadelphia Orchestra became the most traveled orchestra in the U. S. Between the late 1940s and the 1970s, the group performed in Great Britain, Europe, the former Soviet Union, Central and South America, and Asia. In 1973, it became the first American orchestra to tour China. The Philadelphia orchestra was also the first orchestra to perform on national television.

Ormandy also became known for developing, thanks in part to the work of Stokowski before him, the "Philadelphia Sound," a concept that applied to the warmth and richness in tonal quality and precision in performance achieved by the musicians under Ormandy's particular yet amiable direction. In addition to offering up this sound to local audiences, Ormandy also oversaw the orchestra's success in making recordings. These records eventually became available worldwide, which further added to its legacy and popularity.

Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra in the Grand Court in front of the great organ, Philadelphia Wanamaker Store, photograph (circa 1920), John Wanamaker collection (Collection 2188), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

HSP holds the Philadelphia Record photograph morgue (#V07), which contains many images of Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra from the 1930s and 1940s.  In addition, HSP holds programs from the Academy of Music, which was the orchestra’s home for over one hundred years, and several printed works highlighting Ormandy’s life and career.