orig. Antoni Stanislaw Boleslawawicz Stokowski
born April 18, 1882, London, Eng.
died Sept. 13, 1977, Nether Wallop, Hampshire
British-born U.S. conductor and organist.
He studied at the Royal College of Music and the University of Oxford. After holding organist positions and conducting a handful of concerts, he became conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony (190912), with great success. From there he moved to the Philadelphia Orchestra, and in the years 191238 he made it a world-class ensemble, creating the lush "Philadelphia sound." He programmed much contemporary music, and he grasped very early the importance of recording. He made three films with the Philadelphia Orchestra, including Walt Disney 's Fantasia (1940), and he used his fame to help foster fledgling music organizations, including the American Symphony Orchestra, which he formed in 1962. His strong advocacy of new music did much to broaden American musical taste.