death_place death_date birth_place awards birth_date article_title name
toronto , ontario 8 february 2004 tavikovice , margraviate of moravia , austria-hungary order of canada 6 december 1908 nicholas goldschmidt
 nicholas goldschmidt
nicholas goldschmidt

nicholas goldschmidt , -lrb- december 6 , 1908 -- february 8 , 2004 -rrb- was a canadian conductor , administrator , teacher , performer , music festival entrepreneur and artistic director .
he was the grand-nephew of famed composer adalbert von goldschmidt -lrb- 1848-1906 -rrb- .
in 1937 , goldschmidt emigrated to the usa , where he served as director of opera at the san francisco conservatory and stanford university from 1938 to 1942 .
he was director of the opera department at columbia university from 1942 to 1944 .
he subsequently moved to toronto , where he served as the first music director of the royal conservatory opera school -lrb- university of toronto opera division -rrb- from 1946 to 1957 .
in 1950 , goldschmidt , arnold walter and herman geiger-torel helped to found the royal conservatory opera company , which later became the canadian opera company .
from 1949 to 1957 , goldschmidt was the first music director of the cbc opera .
in 1978 , goldschmidt was made an officer of the order of canada , and was promoted to companion in 1989 .
in 1997 , goldschmidt received the governor general 's performing arts award , canada 's highest honour in the performing arts .
goldschmidt married shelagh fraser on 26 june 1948 .
