Julius Hegyi (February 2, 1923 – January 1, 2007) was an American conductor and violinist. He spent his lifetime building orchestras, founding chamber music groups and instilling a passion for music in young and old alike. His belief in contemporary music, especially American music, as conductor, violinist and mentor, brought compelling listening experiences to his audiences. Hegyi was well known for his expert grasp of European repertoire, routinely giving commanding performances of Beethoven and Brahms, for example. Background Hegyi was an active proponent of American music, with concerts devoted to world premieres of many composers. He performed works by contemporary European and Chinese composers, as well. Performed first concert on the violin, age 10 Attended Stuyvesant High School, NYC, 1941 Graduate, The Juilliard School, NYC, studying violin with Sascha Jacobsen and Edouard Dethier; graduating with high honors; recipient of the Frank Damrosch Memorial Scholarship. The Town Hall, NYC, recitals, 1945 and 1946 Violinist: Berkshire String Quartet; New York Civic Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conductor; the New York Philharmonic; RCA Victor Symphony; Radio City Music Hall Symphony; the New York City Center Ballet Orchestra; Little Symphony Orchestra, NYC; Contemporary Music Society, Solomon Guggenheim Museum, NYC Founder, Amati String Quartet Studied conducting with Dimitris Mitropoulos Conductor, Southwestern Symphony Center Orchestra, 1948 Concertmaster and associate conductor, San Antonio Symphony, 1948 Founder and conductor, San Antonio Little Symphony, 1948–1950 Conductor/violinist, Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony, Eureka Springs, AR, 1951–1956 Music Director, Abilene Symphony Orchestra, 1952–1954 Prize Winner, First International Competition for Conductors, Liverpool, England, 1958 Member, American Symphony Orchestra League, 1958- Co-founder, Music in The Round, chamber music series, with Charlotte Hegyi, 1954–1985 Conductor, Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra, 1955–1965 Founder/violinist, Hegyi Piano Trio, Chattanooga, TN, 1955 to 1962, with pianist Charlotte Hegyi, and cellist Martha McCrory Founder and First Director, Sewanee Summer Music Center, 1956–1962 Conductor/violinist, Southwestern Regional Composers' Forum, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 1957–1965 Faculty, music department, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, 1965–1985 Music Director and Conductor, Berkshire Symphony Orchestra, Williamstown, MA, 1965–1985 Conductor, Glens Falls Opera Company, 1971 Music Director, Principal Conductor, Albany Symphony Orchestra, 1966 to 1987 Conductor Emeritus, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Albany, NY, 1987- Guest Conductor/violinist, New York Philharmonic (1987), Philadelphia Orchestra (1978), Wichita, KS, Charlotte, NC, Oak Ridge, TN, Troy, NY, Schenectady, NY, Little Red School House, NYC, Sacramento, CA, Beijing Symphony Orchestra and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra (1985); as well as orchestras in Romania, Puerto Rico and El Salvador. Winner, Columbia