The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-04-26
Prof. Louis Bennett,
Director, to Conduct
Chorus Personally


ence to the Work, AcknowIedged
Artists to Sing, Legend of St.
Elizabeth" to Be Given Here
First Time in Twenty Years.
(Spartanburg Herald)
Louis Bennett, the director of the
twenty-seventh festival of the Spar-
tanburg Music Festival association,
comes to his work fully equipped and
competent to keep up the standard
and reputation this famous event has
attained.
Born in Boston, Mr.. Bennett from
his fifth year has been trained ex
clusively as and for the profession of
musician. He entered the New Eng.
land Conservatory and studied Har.
mony, Theary, Counterpart and Com
position under H. C. Redman, and CT.
chestration with George w. Chadwick,
the director, and one of Americas
leading composers.
Later, discovering that he had a
voice worth cultivating, Mr.. Bennett
put himself under the tutelage O.
Louis Black and w. l.. Whitney, both
foremost in their profession in tn.
city. Finding that his voice was de-
Veloping into splendid operate o.
gan, according to the masters-upon
the advice of his teachers-he decided
to go to Europe, prepare for and enter
the opera world. From 1902 until the
present time Mr.. Bennett has spent
altogether II years in Europe.
His first place of study was Flor
ence, Italy, where he put himself un-
der the instruction of Vannuccini, the
famous voice teacher, and friend Of
Rossini. Vannuccini being of ad-
vanced age and failing health, Mr..
Bennett thought it better to go tc
Germany, where the chances of n
struction were still good, and also the
opportunity of getting engagements
better. So to Dresden he wended his
way, and for the next six years he
lived in this beautiful old city, study
ing, singing and directing. This lat
ter is a branch that always had ap.
pealed to Mr.. Bennett, and opportun.
ity to put himself under Oskar Ma
lata, conductor of the Dresden Roya,
Opera Orchestra. Mr.. Bennett added
that to the other branches of his pro-
fession.
Appointed assistant conductor cf|
the Meisener Singverin, he had tw,
years practical experience conducting
work by Abt, Rheinberger, Reinicke,
and also performance of Wagner's
"Liebestod des Apostles"
Leipsig Theatre.
An engagement in the Stadt the
atre in Leipzig was secured where
Mr.. Bennett sang the baritone roles
of Tonic" in Pagliacci Ca role he will.
repeat here in Spartanburg on opera
Eight) "Toreador" in Carmen; Wotan
in Wagner's "Rheingold"; parts in
operas by Marschner and Lortzing,
and the leading role in a revival OF
Ruberstein's Damon"
Wishing to extend. his field Mr.. Ben
nett came to Ostend, Belgium, and
through the courtesy of Leon Rims
kopf, conducted performances of thel
Kursaal orchestra Of 83 men. He also
assisted in training the Conserva-
toire chorus in works such as Saint
Francis" by Edgar Tinel, and he has
a letter from that great Flemish com
poser expressing his (Tinsel's) ape 6
citation of Mr.. Benefits work and re
suits.
Brussels Opera.
Mr.. Bennett has appeared at Lei
Theatre de la Monnaie, Brussels, in
leading baritone roles - such MS
"Nilikantha" in Lakme; "Lothario'
in Mignon; "Mephisto" in Faust;
"Le Pere" in Louise. At the out
break of the war he had just renewed
his contract to appear the following
season; but as all contracts, under the
terrible conditions that arose, were
declared void, Mr.. Bennett came to
England, where for year he did
charity work-singing for the wound
ed men, and at concerts. Finding that
the war would be long struggle, Mr..
Bennett returned to Boston where he
has done extensive concert work and
teaching, until engaged to become di-
rector of the Spartanburg Festival.