Leopold Anthony Stokowski was born April 18, 1882 in Marylebone, an area of north-central London, as shown in the copy of his birth certificate below. His parents were Kopernick Stokowski (1862-1924) and Annie-Marion Moore. Kopernick Stokowski was a carpenter and cabinet maker who had also been born in Marylebone, London of a Polish father and Scottish mother, so Leopold Stokowski's father was half Scots 19. Leopold Stokowski's mother Annie-Marion was of Irish lineage. Kopernick and Annie-Marion Stokowski later had two other children: Lydia Stokowski Fanshawe (1883-1911) 19 and Percy James Stokowski (1890-1978).
Stokowski Birth Certificate
Beginning in about 18961, Leopold Stokowski and his brother Percy sang in the choir of St Marylebone Church, as shown in the photograph, below.
Stokowski St Marys
Choir of St. Marylebone Church circa 1898, Leopold Stokowski seated front row right
Leopold Stokowski was admitted to the Royal College of Music on January 6, 1896. At the age of thirteen, he became one of the youngest person to have been admitted to the College up to that time 1.
Stokowski RCM
Stokowski entrance to RCM in January, 1896 at age 13 (thanks to Edward Johnson for this image)
Stokowski's further musical progression was marked by his election at age 16 to membership in the Royal College of Organists on June 25, 1898.
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Stokowski the Organist
In about 1898, Stokowski became Assistant Organist to Sir Henry Walford Davies (1869-1941) at The Temple Church, London. In 1900, Stokowski formed the choir of St Mary the Virgin Anglican church, Charing Cross Road, and also played the organ. Then, from 1902 to 1905, Stokowski was organist and choirmaster at St. James's Anglican Church, Piccadilly, London, whose building had been designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
Stokowski organ
Stokowski Goes to New York
From this position as organist and choirmaster at St. James's Anglican Church, Piccadilly, in 1905, Stokowski was recruited to become organist at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in New York City, at Madison Avenue and 44th Street (the previous church to the present one at Park Avenue and 50th Street) 10. He developed a musical reputation in New York, and met a number of leading personalities, including his future wife, Olga Samaroff (1882-1948), who was born Lucy Mary Olga Agnes Hickenlooper in Texas. Stokowski also performed a number of transcriptions of orchestral works from Tchaikovsky symphonies, from ancient composers such as Byrd and Palestrina, and from operas by various composers, including Wagner, as shown in the 1907 advertisement, below.
Ad 1907
March, 1907 Advertisement for a Leopold Stokowski organ concert at St. Bartholomew's Church
But Stokowski was apparently determined to direct an orchestra or an orchestral group, and he became restless. In 1908, he resigned his organist position and in the Spring of that year, he and Olga sailed for Europe, with Stokowski determined to find a new start 2.
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Stokowski's Beginnings as an Orchestra Conductor
In spite of Stokowski's lack of experience, never having conducted a professional symphony orchestra, within one year he had been appointed conductor or the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the beginning of his stellar career.
How could such a remarkable transformation come about ? This is described by Abram Chasins in his biography Leopold Stokowski - A Profile 3. Chasins states that Olga Samaroff had met by chance Bettie Holmes, president of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Association Board of Directors. Olga Samaroff had played frequently in Cincinnati and knew the Cincinnati leaders both from her professional activities and from family connections. Cincinnati was looking for a conductor to lead the symphony orchestra which they had just re-established. Olga Samaroff suggested Leopold Stokowski. This led to Stokowski being interviewed by the Cincinnati the Board on April 22, 1909.
Stokowski's First Orchestral Concert in Paris 1909
Stokowski Cincinnati
Stokowski's interview in Cincinnati did not result in a decision by the Cincinnati Board either positive of negative. This was likely because Stokowski had not up to that time conducted a professional symphony orchestra. Olga Samaroff again apparently came to the rescue. Abram Chasins says that Olga was scheduled to play a Paris concert with the Colonne Orchestra on May 12, 1909. When the Paris conductor fell ill, Olga arranged for Stokowski to be introduced to the Colonne manager with Olga's personal recommendation and with Stokowski also waiving his fee. Stokowski was selected, and made his debut with the Colonne Orchestra on May 12, 1909, with Olga Samaroff as one of two soloists. It is a measure of Stokowski's genius that with such lack of direct orchestral experience, he was able to make a successful debut.
Also fortunate for Stokowski was that Lucien Wulsin, of the Cincinnati-ba