Scherman, Thomas.

Thomas Kielty Scherman, American conductor, was born on February 12, 1917. He was a son of Harry Scherman, founder and president of the Book-of-the-Month Club. He attended Columbia University and then studied piano with Isabelle Vengerova and conducting with Carl Bamberger and Otto Klemperer, whose assistant he became in conducting a chamber orchestra composed of European refuges at the New School for Social Research in New York (1939-1941). He subsequently served in the U.S. Army (1939-1941), reaching the rank of captain. In 1947 he became assistant conductor of the National Opera in Mexico City; the same year, he organized in New York the Little Orchestra Society for the purposes of presenting new works, some of them specially commissioned, and reviving forgotten music of the past. Young People's Concerts were added in 1948 and public rehearsals of the Town Hall concerts at low prices in 1951, when the Society made its first tour. In 1950 Scherman made his first European appearance, conducting in Vienna and Switzerland. He also gave performances of operas in concert versions. He terminated the seasons of the Little Orchestra Society in 1975, but organized the New Little Orchestra Society to present children's concerts, which he led until his death. Thomas K. Scherman died on May 14, 1979 in New York

American conductor, Thomas Kielty Scherman (1917-1979) is well remembered for founding the Little Orchestra Society in New York City.

Scherman was a son of Harry Scherman, founder and president of the Book-of-the-Month Club. He attended Columbia University, studied piano with Isabelle Vengerova, and trained as a conductor with Carl Bamberger and Otto Klemperer. Scherman became Klemperer's assistant, helping to lead a chamber orchestra composed of European refugees at the New School for Social Research in New York (1939-1941). In 1947, he became assistant conductor of the National Opera in Mexico City. In that same year, Scherman organized the Little Orchestra Society for the purposes of presenting new works and reviving forgotten music of the past. The organization, which Scherman helped support out of his own financial resources, also specialized in presenting concert versions of operas in English translation. Young People's Concerts were added in 1948 and low-cost dress rehearsals for the public began being offered at Town Hall in 1951. In 1950, Scherman made his first European appearance, conducting in Vienna and Switzerland. He terminated the seasons of the Little Orchestra Society in 1975, but organized the New Little Orchestra Society to present children's concerts, which he led until his death in 1979. Dino Anagnost took over as musical director after the death of Scherman; the organization is currently known as the Little Orchestra Society.