Erich Kunzel, the conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, passed away today. My partner and I had the pleasure of seeing him conduct the Toronto Symphony Orchestra several times; in fact, we last saw him just this past June when he conducted the TSO Goes to the Movies! Pops concert. Unbeknownst to us, he had cancer of the pancreas, liver, and colon. You couldn’t tell—the man conducted with his usual energy and humour. When my partner called to tell me that he’d died—she heard it on the car radio on her way home from work—I was surprised and saddened. Mr. Kunzel was scheduled to conduct two concerts in the TSO’s 2009/2010 Pops series. Alas, it is not to be.
Thank you, Mr. Kunzel, for several delightful and entertaining evenings. You will be missed.
