Ormandy, Eugene (ôr`məndē), 1899–1985, American conductor, b. Budapest. At the age of five Ormandy entered the Budapest Conservatory, where he studied the violin. Graduating in 1914, he became a member of the faculty. In 1921 he came to the United States, working as violinist, concertmaster, and later conductor of the Capitol Theatre Orchestra, New York City. After a successful guest appearance with the Philadelphia Orchestra, he was appointed conductor of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1931. In 1936 he became associate conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra and later its permanent conductor and music director (1938–80). Ormandy was known for superb romantic interpretations, excelling in works by Beethoven and 19th-century masters.

Ormandy, Eugene

orig. Jenö Ormandy Blau

(born Nov. 18, 1899, Budapest, Austria-Hungary—died March 12, 1985, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.) Hungarian-born U.S. conductor. A violin prodigy, he became professor of violin at the Budapest Royal Academy at age 17. In 1921 he went to New York City, where he played in and conducted a theatre orchestra; he gained national prominence as conductor of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (1931–36). He shared conductorship of the Philadelphia Orchestra with Leopold Stokowski for two years before becoming sole conductor in 1938, and he led the orchestra until he was made laureate in 1980. Ormandy shaped the orchestra's sound by developing the lush, velvety string colour that became its trademark, and the orchestra made scores of recordings under him.

Ormandy, Eugene (b. Blau) (1899–1985) conductor; born in Budapest, Hungary. A child prodigy on violin, Ormandy came to the U.S.A. to play violin in 1920, then took up conducting. He headed the Minneapolis Symphony (1931–35) before taking the podium of the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1936 (for two years co-conductor with Leopold Stokowski); he remained at that post until his retirement in 1980, maintaining the voluptuousness of sound for which the orchestra was both praised and criticized.