TORONTO (CelebrityAccess) – Canada’s arts community is mourning the death of impresario Walter Homburger who passed away last Thursday at the age of 95.
As managing director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for 25 years, Homburger fostered the careers of acclaimed artists including Glenn Gould, Victor Braun, Jan Rubes, and James Ehnes. He brought international attention to the TSO, hiring the finest soloists in the world, and taking the Orchestra on international tours, including a famous trip to China in 1978. He was also responsible for presenting an astonishing array of great artists to Toronto, including Vladimir Horowitz, Louis Armstrong, Victor Borge, and Luciano Pavarotti, among many others.
In a tribute to Homburger posted to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s website, TSO Chief Executive Officer Matthew Loden said: “Walter represented a rare mix in one man: He was a brilliant impresario, a strategic leader, and a kind inspiration to all who knew him. This is a huge loss for the TSO family and for all those fortunate enough to have worked with him, but we are comforted in knowing Walter’s legacy survives in our collective memories and in the music we make every day.”
Homburger was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1984, and, in 2010, received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.
