Lane, Louis

Lane, Louis, American conductor; b. Eagle Pass, Tex., Dec. 25, 1923. He studied composition with Kennan at the Univ. of Tex. (B.Mus., 1943), Martinû at the Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood (summer, 1946), and Rogers at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. (M.Mus., 1947). He also took a course in opera with Sarah Caldwell (1950). In 1947 he became apprentice conductor to George Szell and the Cleveland Orch., and subsequently was asst. conductor (1956–60), assoc. conductor (1960–70), and resident conductor (1970–73) there. He also was co-director of the Blossom Festival School (1969–73). He served as music director of the Akron (Ohio) Sym. Orch. (1959–83) and of the Lake Erie Opera Theatre (1964–72). In 1973 he became principal guest conductor of the Dallas Sym. Orch., and later held various positions with it until 1978. From 1977 to 1983 he was co-conductor of the Atlanta Sym. Orch., then was its principal guest conductor (1983–88). He also was principal guest conductor (1982–83) and principal conductor (1984–85) of the National Sym. Orch. of the South African Broadcasting Corp. in Johannesburg. As a guest conductor, he appeared with major orchs. on both sides of the Atlantic; Lane also was adjunct prof, at the Univ. of Akron (1969–83), visiting prof, at the Univ. of Cincinnati (1973–75), and artistic adviser and conductor at the Cleveland Inst. of Music (from 1982). In 1971 he received the Mahler Medal and in 1972 the Alice M. Ditson Award. In 1979 he was named a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters of France.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire