Richard Kapp

Richard Kapp, 69, founder and conductor of the New York-based orchestra Philharmonia Virtuosi and founder/president of Essay Recordings, died of cancer on Sunday, June 4, 2006, at his home in Danbury.

A musical prodigy by the age of 3, Mr. Kapp was loved and respected by the performers who worked with him. He was an innovative and controversial force in the world of classical music who was admired by concert audiences for his informal, often humorous commentary at performances and by record buyers for his creative marketing approach.

In 1977, at a time when classical artists and institutions were targeting an elite, high brow audience of musically sophisticated patrons, he conceived and recorded "Greatest Hits of 1720," a top 10 collection of Baroque favorites, for CBS Masterworks. The release, which became a best-selling classical recording and inspired a multitude of copycat projects, met with mixed reviews from critics, many of whom found it too commercial.

Mr. Kapp started Philharmonia Virtuosi in 1968 and quickly established it among the top-ranked American chamber orchestras. The group became known for its wide range of repertoire, as well as numerous recordings, and made acclaimed appearances at concert halls throughout the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe.

Philharmonia Virtuosi originated in Manhattan and always maintained a presence in New York City, most recently as orchestra in residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 1990-2004, but in 1976 Mr. Kapp decided to move its home base to Westchester County. There, he led the group in annual season at the Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, and concert series at a dozen smaller venues. Philharmonia Virtuosi remained one of the most active ensembles in the metropolitan area until Mr. Kapp's illness compelled the orchestra to suspend its performances in the winter of 2004.

In 1988, Mr. Kapp founded Essay Recordings as a means of providing further exposure for Philharmonia Virtuosi and other artists, including the Manhattan String Quartet, pianist Ruth Laredo, guitarist Eliot Fisk, and violinist Mela Tenenbaum. Essay's top sellers include a series called "Musical Evenings with the Captain," drawn from the historical novels of Patrick O'Brian, a project instituted by Mr. Kapp in the mid-'90s after he read the books and discovered their frequent references to music.

A superb musician, Mr. Kapp revived his prodigious skill as a pianist in the later years of his career and can be heard playing on several of Essay's releases. His recording activity for other labels, such as CBS, RCA Victo, Vox and BMG, was prolific, including more than 60 performances as conductor with orchestras in the U.S. and abroad.

Richard Paul Kapp was born in Chicago on October 9, 1936. The family moved to New York City when he was still a toddler, and he grew up in Manhattan and Westchester, His father, Paul Kapp, was founder and president of General Music Publishing, which issued such gems as " I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and "Dominique." His uncle, Jack Kapp, was president and founder of Decca Records, and his uncle David Kapp started Kapp Records.

Mr. Kapp studied at Johns Hopkins University, receiving his B.A. in 1957. He won a Fulbright Fellowship and spent five years studying and conducting in Europe. When he returned to the U.S., he served as music director of the Opera Theater of the Manhattan School of Music while earning a law degree from NYU. In a career that combined administrative as well as artistic positions, he also served as a program officer of the Ford Foundation for nine years in the '70s.

Mr. Kapp is survived by his wife of 25 years, Barbara Borders Kapp, daughters: Joanna Kapp Beacon and Alexandra Kapp Horner, both of Los Angeles; daughter, Madeline W. Kapp, a student at the University of Toronto; his brother, Robert Kapp of Port Townsend, Wash.; his sister, Judith Keenan of Washington, D.C., and four grandchildren.