List of Sinfonians
Table:
Name

Original chapter

Notability

References

Van Cliburn

Alpha Chi (1958) Alpha Alpha (1962)

Pianist who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958, when at age 23, he won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, at the height of the Cold War; awarded the Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award in 1962, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2001, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2003, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, and the National Medal of Arts in 2010

[9][15][16][35]

Rudolph Ganz

Zeta (1924)

Performer, conductor, composer, and educator

Leopold Godowsky

Beta (1900)

Performer, composer, educator; advanced piano playing technique

Morton Gould

Alpha Delta (1947)

Composer, conductor, arranger, and performer; a Kennedy Center honoree in 1994; has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1995, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005

[16][29][35]

Josef Hofmann

Alpha (1917)

Performer, composer, music teacher, and inventor

Peter Nero

Gamma Omega (1962)

Conductor and Grammy Award-winning pianist

André Previn, KBE

Zeta Mu (1967)

Pianist, conductor, and composer; winner of multiple Grammy and Academy Awards; appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1996; a Kennedy Center honoree in 1998; received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010

[16][35][50]

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Alpha (1919)

Conductor, composer, and pianist

[42]

Roger Williams

Alpha Beta (1943)

Concert pianist; recorded the only piano instrumental (Autumn Leaves) to reach #1 on Billboard's popular music chart

Drawing on the following table and the relevant paragraphs listed below.

Provide an answer to this question: Which sport did this popular music pianist pursue who recorded the number 1 best-seller piece in the US Billboard charts of 1955 ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Do not introduce information beyond the provided sources.

Harvey Lavan Van Cliburn Jr. ( /ˈklaɪbɜːrn/ ; July 12 , 1934 - February 27 , 2013 ) was an American pianist who , at the age of 23 , achieved worldwide recognition when he won the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958 ( during the Cold War ) . Cliburn 's mother , a piano teacher and an accomplished pianist in her own right , discovered him playing at age three , mimicking one of her students and arranged for him to start taking lessons . Cliburn developed a rich , round tone and a singing-voice-like phrasing , having been taught from the start to sing each piece . Cliburn toured domestically and overseas . He played for royalty , heads of state , and every US president from Harry S. Truman to Barack Obama .
The University of Tulsa ( TU ) is a private research university in Tulsa , Oklahoma , United States . TU has an historic affiliation with the Presbyterian Church and the campus architectural style is predominantly Collegiate Gothic . The University of Tulsa manages the Gilcrease Museum , which includes one of the largest collections of American Western art and indigenous American artifacts in the world . In 2016 , Tulsa acquired The Bob Dylan Archive and is developing a museum nearby in downtown Tulsa to display pieces from this collection . TU also hosts the Tulsa Studies in Women 's Literature , founded by former TU professor and noted feminist critic Germaine Greer ( now at the University of Cambridge ) . TU 's athletic teams are collectively known as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane and compete in Division I of the NCAA as members of the American Athletic Conference ( The American ) .
The International Tchaikovsky Competition is a classical music competition held every four years in Moscow and Saint Petersburg , Russia , for pianists , violinists , and cellists between 16 and 32 years of age and singers between 19 and 32 years of age . The competition is named after Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and is an active member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions . The International Tchaikovsky Competition was the first international music competition held in the Soviet Union . For the XIV competition in 2011 , Valery Gergiev was appointed the competition 's chairman , and Richard Rodzinski , former president of the Van Cliburn Foundation , was appointed general director . A new voting system was instituted , created by mathematician John MacBain , and used by the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis , the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition , and the Cleveland International Piano Competition . All rules and regulations also underwent a complete revision . Emphasis was placed on the composition of the jury , which consisted primarily of well-known and respected performing artists . Finally , for all competitions from 2011 forward , a first prize will always be awarded . The XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition was held in Moscow and St. Petersburg , Russia , from June 14 to July 1 , 2011 , under the auspices of the Russian federal government and its Ministry of Culture . The competition disciplines were piano , violin , cello , and voice ( male singers and female singers ) . The XV competition took place in June 2015 . The XVI competition took place June 17-29 , 2019 , in Moscow and St. Petersburg ; woodwind and brass competition disciplines were added .
The Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award is one of the highest honors awarded to members of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity for a lifelong achievement in uplifting the world through art and music . Its recipients include musical legends such as Aaron Copland , W. Francis McBeth , James Levine , Frederick Fennell , Maynard Ferguson , and Col. John R. Bourgeois , USMC ( Ret . ) .
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture . The honors have been presented annually since 1978 , culminating each December in a star-studded gala celebrating the honorees in the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington , D.C .
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the president of the United States . The Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal are the highest civilian awards of the United States . The presidential medal seeks to recognize those people who have made an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States , world peace , cultural or other significant public or private endeavors . The award is not limited to U.S. citizens and , while it is a civilian award , it can also be awarded to military personnel and worn on the uniform . It was established in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy , superseding the Medal of Freedom that was established by President Harry S. Truman in 1945 to honor civilian service during World War II .
The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award that is awarded by The Recording Academy to performers who , during their lifetimes , have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording . This award is distinct from the Grammy Hall of Fame Award , which honors specific recordings rather than individuals , and the Grammy Trustees Award , which honors non-performers .
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984 , for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts . A prestigious American honor , it is the highest honor given to artists and arts patrons by the United States government . Nominations are submitted to the National Council on the Arts , the advisory committee of the National Endowment for the Arts , who then submits its recommendations to the White House for the President of the United States to award . The medal was designed for the NEA by sculptor Robert Graham .
Rudolph Ganz ( 24 February 1877 Zurich - 2 August 1972 Chicago ) was a Swiss-born American pianist , conductor , composer , and music educator .
The University of Missouri ( Mizzou , MU , or Missouri ) is a public research university in Columbia , Missouri . It is Missouri 's largest university and the flagship of the four campus University of Missouri System . Founded in 1839 , it was the first public university west of the Mississippi River . It is a member of the Association of American Universities as well as a land-grant and space-grant institution . Enrolling 30,046 students in 2019 , it offers over 300 degree programs in thirteen major academic divisions . Its well-known Missouri School of Journalism was founded by Walter Williams in 1908 as the world 's first journalism school ; It publishes a daily newspaper , the Columbia Missourian , and operates an NBC affiliate KOMU . The University of Missouri Research Reactor Center is the world 's most powerful university research reactor and is the United States sole source of isotopes used in nuclear medicine . The university operates University of Missouri Health Care , running a number of hospitals and clinics in Mid-Missouri . Its NCAA Division I athletic teams are known as the Missouri Tigers , and compete in the Southeastern Conference . The American tradition of homecoming is claimed to have originated at Missouri . The campus is home to the State Historical Society of Missouri , and the Museum of Art and Archaeology . Its historic center , Francis Quadrangle , is a National Historic District .
Leopold Godowsky ( 13 February 1870 - 21 November 1938 ) was a Polish-American virtuoso pianist , composer , and teacher . He was one of the most highly regarded performers of his time - known for his theories concerning the application of relaxed weight and economy of motion within pianistic technic - principles later propagated by Godowsky 's pupils , such as Heinrich Neuhaus . He was heralded among musical giants as the Buddha of the Piano and was probably the most astonishing instance of a self-taught performer and creator in the history of art . Ferruccio Busoni claimed that he and Godowsky were the only composers to have added anything of significance to keyboard writing since Franz Liszt . As a composer , Godowsky is best known for his Java Suite , Triakontameron , Passacaglia and Walzermasken , alongside his transcriptions of works by other composers : best known work in the field is 53 Studies on Chopin 's Études ( 1894-1914 ) .
Combs College of Music was founded in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania in 1885 as Combs Broad Street Conservatory of Music by Gilbert Raynolds Combs , celebrated pianist , organist and composer . The faculty included famous musicians such as Leopold Godowsky , Hugh Archibald Clark and Henry Schradieck . In 1908 the college was chartered to grant academic degrees in music . The name of the college was changed in 1933 to Combs College of Music . Combs was the first music college to have dormitories and foreign students . In 1954 , Helen Behr Braun , a graduate of Combs Broad Street Conservatory and a concert violinist , succeeded to the Presidency . Under her direction an impressive faculty was assembled which included Jean Casadesus , Leo Ornstein , Philadelphia Orchestra members Jacob Krachmalnick , Carl Torello and William Kincaid , musicologist Guy Marriner and composer Romeo Cascarino . A partial list of notable faculty during the 1970s and 80s also included the duo-piano team of Toni and Rosi Grunschlag , performers and pedagogues Jacob Neupauer , Michael Guerra , Donald Reinhardt , Anthony Weigand , Romeo Cascarino , Dolores Ferraro , Frank Versaci , Joseph Primavera , Keith Chapman , Morton Berger , Howard Haines , William Fabrizio and John McIntyre . As early as 1954 Helen Braun was exploring the use of music as a therapy . The college engaged in many early research projects ; one sponsored by the Rudolf Steiner Foundation , which sent distinguished composer and Combs alumnus Paul Nordoff to England and Scotland to study the use of music for special needs children . Together with Clive Robbins , he pioneered a unique program of music therapy , widely recognized for its innovative and effective results . With Nordoff 's teachings as a foundation , Combs was the first college in the Philadelphia area to offer an educational program in Music Therapy .
Morton Gould ( December 10 , 1913 - February 21 , 1996 ) was an American composer , conductor , arranger , and pianist .
Iowa State University of Science and Technology ( Iowa State ) is a public land-grant and space-grant research university in Ames , Iowa . It is the largest university in the state of Iowa and the third largest university in the Big 12 athletic conference . Iowa State is classified among R1 : Doctoral Universities - Very high research activity . It is also a member of the Association of American Universities ( AAU ) . Founded in 1858 and coeducational from its start , Iowa State became the nation 's first designated land-grant institution when the Iowa Legislature accepted the provisions of the 1862 Morrill Act on September 11 , 1862 , making Iowa the first state in the nation to do so . Iowa State 's academic offerings are administered today through eight colleges , including the graduate college , that offer over 100 bachelor 's degree programs , 112 master 's degree programs , and 83 at the Ph.D. level , plus a professional degree program in Veterinary Medicine . Iowa State University 's athletic teams , the Cyclones , compete in Division I of the NCAA and are a founding member of the Big 12 . The Cyclones field 16 varsity teams and have won numerous NCAA national championships .
The Hollywood Walk of Fame comprises more than 2,600 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood , California . The stars are permanent public monuments to achievement in the entertainment industry , bearing the names of a mix of musicians , actors , directors , producers , musical and theatrical groups , fictional characters , and others . The Walk of Fame is administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and maintained by the self-financing Hollywood Historic Trust . It is a popular tourist destination , with a reported 10 million visitors in 2003 . The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce holds trademark rights to the Hollywood Walk of Fame .
The Pulitzer Prize for Music is one of seven Pulitzer Prizes awarded annually in Letters , Drama , and Music . It was first given in 1943 . Joseph Pulitzer arranged for a music scholarship to be awarded each year , and this was eventually converted into a prize : For a distinguished musical composition of significant dimension by an American that has had its first performance in the United States during the year . Because of the requirement that the composition have its world premiere during the year of its award , the winning work had rarely been recorded and sometimes had received only one performance . In 2004 the terms were modified to read , For a distinguished musical composition by an American that has had its first performance or recording in the United States during the year .
Josef Casimir Hofmann ( originally Józef Kazimierz Hofmann ; January 20 , 1876 - February 16 , 1957 ) was a Polish American pianist , composer , music teacher , and inventor .
The New England Conservatory of Music ( NEC ) is a private music school in Boston , Massachusetts . It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States . The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Hall and is home to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of Continuing Education . At the collegiate level , NEC offers the Bachelor of Music , Master of Music , and Doctor of Musical Arts , as well as the Undergraduate , Graduate , and Artist Diplomas . Also offered are five-year joint double-degree programs with Harvard University and Tufts University . NEC is the only music school in the United States designated as a National Historic Landmark , and it is a pending Boston Landmark . Its primary concert hall , Jordan Hall , designed by Edmund M. Wheelright contains an organ modeled after the one at Santa Maria Della Scala in Siena It hosts approximately 1,000 concerts each year .
Peter Nero ( born Bernard Nierow , May 22 , 1934 ) is an American pianist and pops conductor . He directed the Philly Pops from 1979 to 2013 , and has earned two Grammy Awards .
Indiana State University ( ISU ) is a public university in Terre Haute , Indiana . It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs . Indiana State is classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as a Doctoral/Research University .
A Grammy Award ( stylized as GRAMMY , originally called Gramophone Award ) , or Grammy , is an award presented by The Recording Academy to recognize achievements in the music industry . The trophy depicts a gilded gramophone . The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artists , and the presentation of those awards that have a more popular interest . The Grammys are the second of the Big Three major music awards held annually ( between the American Music Awards in the Fall , and the Billboard Music Awards in the Summer ) , was held May 1 in 2019 . It is considered one of the four major annual American entertainment awards along with the Academy Awards ( film ) , the Emmy Awards ( television ) , and the Tony Awards ( theater and Broadway ) The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4 , 1959 , to honor and respect the musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1958 . Following the 2011 ceremony , the Academy overhauled many Grammy Award categories for 2012 . The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards were held on January 26 , 2020 , at the Staples Center in Los Angeles .
André George Previn KBE ( /ˈprɛvɪn/ ; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin ; April 6 , 1929 - February 28 , 2019 ) was a German-American pianist , composer , arranger , and conductor . His career was three-pronged . Starting by arranging and composing Hollywood film scores for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , Previn was involved in the music for over 50 films over his entire career . He won four Academy Awards for his film work and ten Grammy Awards for his recordings ( and one more for his Lifetime Achievement ) . He was also the music director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra , the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra , the Los Angeles Philharmonic , and the Oslo Philharmonic , as well as the principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra . In jazz , Previn was a pianist-interpreter and arranger of songs from the Great American Songbook , was piano-accompanist to singers of jazz standards , and was a trio pianist .
Sam Houston State University ( colloquially known as SHSU or Sam ) is a public university in Huntsville , Texas . It was founded in 1879 and is the third-oldest public college or university in Texas . It is one of the oldest purpose-built institutions for the instruction of teachers west of the Mississippi River and the first such institution in Texas . It is named for Sam Houston , who made his home in the city and is buried there . [ citation needed ] SHSU is a member of the Texas State University System and has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students across over 80 undergraduate , 59 master 's , and 10 doctoral degree programs . Its programs are ranked 230-301 by U.S. News & World Report . The university also offers more than 20 online bachelor 's and graduate degrees . It was the first institution classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education within the Texas State University System .
The Academy Awards , more popularly known as the Oscars , are awards for artistic and technical merit in the film industry . Given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) , the awards are an international recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements as assessed by the Academy 's voting membership . The various category winners are awarded a copy of a golden statuette , officially called the Academy Award of Merit , although more commonly referred to by its nickname , the Oscar . The statuette depicts a knight rendered in the Art Deco style . The award was originally sculpted by George Stanley from a design sketch by Cedric Gibbons . AMPAS first presented it in 1929 at a private dinner hosted by Douglas Fairbanks in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in what would become known as the 1st Academy Awards . The Academy Awards ceremony was first broadcast by radio in 1930 and was televised for the first time in 1953 . It is the oldest worldwide entertainment awards ceremony and is now televised live worldwide . It is also the oldest of the four major annual American entertainment awards ; its other three equivalents - the Emmy Awards for television , the Tony Awards for theater , and the Grammy Awards for music - are modeled after the Academy Awards . The 91st Academy Awards ceremony , honoring the best films of 2018 , was held on February 24 , 2019 , at the Dolby Theatre , in Los Angeles , California . The ceremony was broadcast on ABC . A total of 3,096 Oscar statuettes have been awarded from the inception of the award through the 91st ceremony .
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences , work with charitable and welfare organisations , and public service outside the civil service . It was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V and comprises five classes across both civil and military divisions , the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or dame if female . There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with , but not members of the order . Recommendations for appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the United Kingdom , the self-governing Dominions of the Empire ( later Commonwealth ) and the Viceroy of India . Nominations continue today from Commonwealth countries that participate in recommending British ( Imperial ) honours . Most Commonwealth countries ceased recommendations for appointments to the Order of the British Empire when they created their own honours . [ a ]
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff [ a ] ( English : /rɑːxˈmɑːnəˌnɔːf , -ˌnɒf , rɑːk-/ rahkh-MAH-nə-nawf , -⁠nof , rahk- ; Russian : Серге́й Васи́льевич Рахма́нинов [ b ] , tr . Sergei Vasilyevich Rakhmaninov , IPA : [ sʲɪrˈɡʲej vɐˈsʲilʲjɪvʲɪt͡ɕ rɐxˈmanʲɪnəf ] ; 1 April [ O.S . 20 March ] 1873 - 28 March 1943 [ c ] [ d ] ) was a Russian composer , virtuoso pianist , and conductor of the late Romantic period . The influence of Tchaikovsky , Rimsky-Korsakov , Balakirev , Mussorgsky , and other Russian composers is seen in his early works , later giving way to a personal style notable for song-like melodicism , expressiveness and rich orchestral colors . Born into a musical family , Rachmaninoff took up the piano at the age of four . He graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in 1892 , having already composed several piano and orchestral pieces . In 1897 , following the negative critical reaction to his Symphony No . 1 , Rachmaninoff entered a four-year depression and composed little until successful therapy allowed him to complete his enthusiastically received Piano Concerto No . 2 in 1901 . In the course of the next sixteen years , Rachmaninoff conducted at the Bolshoi Theatre , relocated to Dresden , Germany , and toured the United States for the first time . Rachmaninoff often featured the piano in his compositions , and he explored the expressive possibilities of the instrument through his own skills as a pianist . Following the Russian Revolution , Rachmaninoff and his family left Russia ; in 1918 , they settled in the United States , first in New York City .
Roger Williams ( born Louis Jacob Weertz , October 1 , 1924 - October 8 , 2011 ) was an American popular music pianist . Described by the Los Angeles Times as one of the most popular instrumentalists of the mid-20th century , and the rare instrumental pop artist to strike a lasting commercial chord , Williams had 22 hit singles - including chart-topping Autumn Leaves in 1955 and Born Free in 1966 - and 38 hit albums between 1955 and 1972 . He was a Navy boxing champion , played for nine U.S. Presidential administrations , and had a gold Steinway & Sons grand piano model named in his honor .
Drake University is a private university in Des Moines , Iowa . The institution offers undergraduate and graduate programs including professional programs in business , law , and pharmacy . Drake 's law school is among the twenty-five oldest in the country .
Autumn Leaves is a popular song and jazz standard composed by Joseph Kosma with original lyrics by Jacques Prévert in French , and later by Johnny Mercer in English . An instrumental version by pianist Roger Williams was a number 1 best-seller in the US Billboard charts of 1955 .
Billboard , stylized as billboard , is an American entertainment media brand owned by the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group , a division of Eldridge Industries . It publishes pieces involving news , video , opinion , reviews , events , and style , and is also known for its music charts , including the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 , tracking the most popular songs and albums in different genres . It also hosts events , owns a publishing firm , and operates several TV shows . Billboard was founded in 1894 by William Donaldson and James Hennegan as a trade publication for bill posters . Donaldson later acquired Hennegen 's interest in 1900 for $ 500 . In the early years of the 20th century , it covered the entertainment industry , such as circuses , fairs , and burlesque shows , and also created a mail service for travelling entertainers . Billboard began focusing more on the music industry as the jukebox , phonograph , and radio became commonplace . Many topics it covered were spun-off into different magazines , including Amusement Business in 1961 to cover outdoor entertainment , so that it could focus on music . After Donaldson died in 1925 , Billboard was passed down to his children and Hennegan 's children , until it was sold to private investors in 1985 , and has since been owned by various parties .