Robert Shaw

Not to be confused with the barrelhouse pianist who shared his name, Robert Shaw built his reputation on a rare command of both choral and orchestral conducting. Recordings with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra placed him in front of standard classical repertory, yet his own projects more often reflected a fascination with older vernacular song. Several collections of traditional Christmas carols became his most familiar work, though he also explored Irish folk music, sea shanties, Civil War songs, popular American hymns, African American spirituals, and the compositions of Stephen Foster. After assisting Arturo Toscanini and Bruno Walter in New York, Shaw secured independent conducting engagements and, in 1948, assembled the Robert Shaw Chorale. The ensemble quickly earned recognition as one of the nation’s foremost choirs and traveled extensively abroad. Subsequent appointments took him to the San Diego Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra before he assumed the post of music director with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, a role he held from 1967 to 1988. He continued to appear as a guest conductor with numerous ensembles, among them the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. His lengthy career concluded with his death on January 25, 1999.