Antek, Samuel

Samuel Antek (1908-1958) was born in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Chicago Musical College, where he studied violin under Leon Sametini. In 1924, Antek moved to New York City to study with Leopold Auer. Antek went on to study with Louis Persinger and Albert Spaulding at the Juilliard School and in 1936 debuted as a violinist at The Town Hall. Following his debut, Antek concertized extensively and received his first conducting opportunity on the General Foods Radio Hour which broadcasted symphonic, popular classics and operatic music.

In 1937, upon becoming first violinist for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) Symphony Orchestra, Antek begin his orchestral apprenticeship with Arturo Toscanini. He would remain with the NBC Symphony Orchestra until its cessation in 1954. In the 1940s, Antek also attended The Pierre Monteux School for Conductors and Orchestra Musicians in Hancock, Maine. The professional relationships forged with both Toscanini and Monteux would remain influential through out his career.

Antek was invited by Toscanini to serve as conductor for coast to coast broadcasts of the NBC Symphony Orchestra. In the 1940s through 1950s, he guest conducted for orchestras in New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Chicago, Houston, and the Connecticut Symphony. During this time, Antek also conducted Young People's Concerts for the NBC Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. He held the position of musical director for the Young People's Concerts series in Buffalo and Philadelphia. The promotion of Young People's Concerts was important to Antek and as a result he published articles on the value of introducing symphonic music to children.

In 1947, Antek became the conductor and music director for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO). As conductor of the NJSO, Antek received positive and notable reviews for his work and had become highly popular within the American music scene. He was also successful in the publication of several essays on his association with Toscanini. These essays were later compiled into the well-reviewed memoir, This Was Toscanini . Antek died in 1958 of a heart attack leaving the memoir to be published posthumously in 1963 with the aid of his wife, Alice Antek.