Britt Festivals' founding conductor John Trudeau dies at age 81 (11-7-08)
MEDFORD, OR - Britt Festivals' Founder and Conductor Emeritus John Trudeau died peacefully at his home in Portland on Monday, November 3. Trudeau, 81, is survived by his wife, Betty, and their children and grandchildren. A private funeral will take place in Portland this weekend and a public memorial service is being planned for a later date at Portland State University.
Trudeau was the Associate Conductor of the Portland Symphony Orchestra (now the Oregon Symphony) when he began his work at Britt. His 32-year teaching tenure at Portland State University included appointments as Chairman of the Music Department and Dean of the School of Fine and Performing Arts.
Trudeau traveled to Jacksonville, Oregon, for the first time in 1962 and with the help of many, established Britt as the Northwest's first outdoor summer music festival. The first concert on August 11, 1963 took place on a makeshift plywood stage strung with tin can lights. Trudeau served as conductor of the Britt Festival Orchestra for its first 25 years, conducting 343 concerts.
As Conductor Emeritus, Trudeau returned to guest conduct at Britt on occasion, with his most recent appearance in 2002 during Britt's 40th anniversary "The Three Conductors" concert, where he shared the podium with former Britt conductor James DePreist and current Music Director and Conductor Peter Bay.
"He was a wonderful conductor with a keen ear and a thorough knowledge of the repertoire," says Bay. "Those talents, just to name a few, were what brought the Britt Festivals from its modest beginnings to its being internationally recognized. It takes a person with skill, determination, musical ability, foresight, persuasion and warmth to do what John did in Jacksonville. All of us from the Britt Festival Orchestra owe him a great deal and will miss his smiling face."
Bay is dedicating the 2009 Classical Festival to Trudeau.
In 2006, Trudeau wrote Touches of Sweet Harmony, his memoir about the founding and first 25 years of the festival. He was an ambassador for Britt and southern Oregon at home in Portland, speaking at various events. His most recent visit to the Britt hill was in August, when he returned to hear the Britt Orchestra and visit friends. Trudeau was slated to conduct the Britt Orchestra again in 2012 for Britt's 50th anniversary celebration.
Memorial gifts to Britt honoring the legacy of John Trudeau will be placed in a special "Founder's Fund" as part of the Britt Classical Festival Endowment. For more information, contact Britt at (541) 779-0847.
Britt Festivals is a non-profit organization that presents and sponsors performing arts and supports those activities through on-going education and audience development programs and through cooperation with educational, civic, cultural and governmental organizations in Southern Oregon. In addition to presenting concerts, Britt Festivals maintains a formal education program through the Britt Institute. Established in 1985, the Britt Institute hosts a wide variety of learning opportunities through a multi-faceted approach of summer camps, workshops, artist residencies, grade school programs, lectures and adult learning opportunities.
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