Charles Rosekrans

CHARLES ROSEKRANS, noted conductor of opera, symphony, ballet, chamber music, and musical theatre, died Tuesday, the 8th of September 2009, in Houston. He was 75. A native of San Francisco, he had lived in Houston since 1956, when he was invited by Houston Grand Opera's founding music director, Walter Herbert, to become associate conductor and chorus master. On Herbert's retirement, Charles was named music director of Houston Grand Opera and spent a total of 17 years with the company. He was the founder of the Houston Chamber Orchestra, and also served as music director of Charlotte Opera (now Opera Carolina) for 25 years. He was a frequent guest conductor for San Francisco Spring Opera, Chautauqua Opera, San Diego Opera, Edmonton Opera, Southern Alberta Opera, Brevard Music Center, Portland Opera, Shreveport Opera, and Knoxville Civic Opera. In addition he was founder and conductor for Westchester Hudson Opera. In recent years, Charles recorded several albums of operatic and symphonic works with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus, the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, and the St. Petersburg Radio and TV Orchestra, and with such soloists as Renata Scotto, Fabiano Bravo, Balazs Pòka, Erich Parce, and Dolora Zajick. At Houston Grand Opera, he conducted the world premiere of Thomas Pasatieri's The Seagull and the first American professional production of Ralph Vaughan Williams' Hugh the Drover. Performers who sang under Rosekrans' baton included Beverly Sills, Anna Moffo, Sherrill Milnes, Hermann Prey, Placido Domingo, Teresa Stratas, and James McCracken, among many others. His recordings include a number of world premieres, including Cilea's L'Arlesiana and Mascagni's Lodoletta, as well as the first recording of Puccini's complete Madame Butterfly in all of its different versions. During the 12-year history of Houston Chamber Orchestra, Charles introduced Houston audiences to such distinguished artists as Margaret Price, Heather Harper, Birgit Finnilae, Jessye Norman, and Jean Pierre Rampal. For Houston's Theatre Under The Stars, Charles conducted My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Gone With the Wind, Oliver!, The Most Happy Fella, Show Boat, South Pacific, West Side Story, and the world premiere of Scrooge. Charles was also was active in ballet, having conducted on numerous occasions for Houston Ballet, Dallas Ballet, and other companies. Widely known as a pianist, he performed frequently in recent years in a series of musicales that he organized, featuring many Houston musicians in chamber music repertoire. Charles was born on the 4th of August 1934, in San Francisco to the late John Newton Rosekrans and Alma Emma Spreckels. He was the great-grandson of sugar company founder Claus Spreckels, and the grandson of Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, who built and donated to the city of San Francisco the famed art museum known as the California Palace of the Legion of Honor. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his brother, the late John N. Rosekrans, Jr., and sister-in-law, the late Mrs. Adolph S. Rosekrans. Charles is survived by his brother, Adolph Rosekrans, sister-in-law, Mrs. John N. Rosekrans, Jr.; nephews, John, Peter, and Spreck Rosekrans; niece, Kate Rosekrans; and many grandnieces and grandnephews. A memorial service and musical celebration of Charles' life is to be conducted at two o'clock in the afternoon on Wednesday, the 16th of September, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston. Immediately following the service, all are invited to gather and share remembrances during a reception in the adjacent grand foyer. In lieu of usual remembrances, contributions in memory of Charles Rosekrans may be directed to the Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX, 77251-1892; or to the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (HSPCA), 900 Portway Drive, Houston, TX, 77024.