Background

Hugo Winterhalter was born on August 15, 1909, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the son of Hugo Frank Winterhalter and Margaret V. Gallagher.

Education

He started playing the violin at the age of six, later taking up reed instruments while he was still attending the Sisters of Mercy parochial school. By the age of sixteen, still in high school at St. Mary's in Wilkes-Barre, he was making $6 per night playing professionally in a local band. Later he led the school orchestra and gave music lessons to put himself through college at Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He later studied violin and reed instruments at the New England Conservatory of Music.

Career

After graduating, he taught music in high school in the early 1930's. In the mid-1930's, Winterhalter played saxophone in club bands and as a sideman with Howard Lally and Nye Mayhew in New York City. By the late 1930's and the 1940's, he was playing with various big-band orchestras, joining Larry Clinton in 1938, then Jack Jenney (for whose band Winterhalter arranged the famed "Stardust"), Raymond Scott, the Dorsey Brothers, Count Basie, Vaughn Monroe, and Benny Goodman. It was while he was with Tommy Dorsey in 1944 that Winterhalter turned to arranging. In 1948, Winterhalter joined MGM as music conductor; he later served in the same capacity at Columbia (1949 - 1950), RCA Victor (1950 - 1963), and Kapp (1963). At RCA, he was a key studio arranger and conductor; his large string orchestras produced such instrumental hits as "Blue Tango" and "Vanessa" and backed many popular singers, among them, Perry Como ("Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes"), Billy Eckstine, Doris Day, Eddie Fisher ("Oh, My Papa"), Dinah Shore, Kate Smith, Frank Sinatra, Kay Starr, and Mario Lanza. Eleven of these recordings became gold records, the recording industry's term for those selling one million or more copies. Winterhalter's work is noted for its lush arrangement and meticulous craftsmanship. His biggest hit was his arrangement of Eddie Heywood's instrumental piece "Canadian Sunset" (1956), featuring Heywood himself on piano, which reached No. 2 on the charts and sold 1. 5 million copies during the 1950's. As a composer he wrote "How Do I Love Thee?" (1951), "Hesitation" (1952), and "Melody of Spain" (1962). Winterhalter also appeared as guest conductor with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony, and the National Symphony in Washington, D. C. He died on September 17, 1973, in Greenwich Hospital, Connecticut, of cancer.

Achievements

• Hugo Winterhalter was a talented music arranger and composer, who was among the first to arrange and conduct performances for long-playing records. He earned several music awards during his lengthy career, including eleven Gold Records, a Grammy in 1957 for the best performance by an orchestra and a Cash Box Award. Hugo Winterhalter was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1600 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Through The Years ORIGINAL RECORDINGS REMASTERED 2CD SET

    (This collection spotlights Winterhalter at his very best!...)

  • Hugo Winterhalter Goes… Latin

    (Hugo Winterhalter Goes… Latin by Hugo Winterhalter When ...)

  • Eyes of Love

    (DISC 1: 1. VANESSA 2. I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU 3. AROUND ...)

  • Masters of Melody: Hugo Winterhalter

    (1. Canadian Sunset #2 hit for two weeks released 12/18/54...)

  • Wish You Were Here
  • The Very Best of Hugo Winterhalter and His Orchestra
  • Instrumental Favorites: Around The World - A Time Life Collection
  • 16 Beautiful Hits
  • Canadian Sunset
  • Soft Sounds of Hugo Winterhalter

  • book

  • Hugo Winterhalter Goes Continental / I Only Have For You

Connections

Hugo Winterhalter was married to Mary Margaret Hardey. They had four children.

Father:

Hugo Frank Winterhalter

Mother:

Margaret V. Winterhalter (Gallagher)

Wife:

Mary Margaret Winterhalter (Hardey)

Son :

Hugh Francis Winterhalter

Brother:

Paul Winterhalter

References

• Instrumental Legends
• Because of You
• Symphony of a Starry Night, Hugo Winterhalter, Sheet Music
• Blue December
• Across the Wide Missouri (A-Roll A-Roll A-Ree)
• Perry Como: 36 All-time Greatest Hits
• I Wanna Be Loved (Cover: as recorded by The Fontane Sisters; Hugo Winterhalter and Orchestra, Victor Records)
• The Velvet Glove (Recorded by Henri Rene and Hugo Winterhalter on R. C. A. Victor Records) (Recorded by Henri Rene and Hugo Winterhalter on R. C. A. Victor Records)