Max Winder (BSO violin, 1962-1992) oral history interview: Barshak, Regina, interviewee (Side A); Max Hobart (BSO violin, 1957-1991) oral history interview: Hobart, Max, interviewee (Side B), June 7, 1994; November 22, 1994, 2023-07-20T00:00:00+00:00

Cassette 68: Oral history conducted by Robert Ripley on June 7, 1994, Regina Barshak is the sister of Max Winder (Side A); Oral history conducted by Robert Ripley on November 22, 1994 (Side B).

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT

Tape 68, Side A

0:12 RECORDING BEGINS: REGINA BARSHAK CONT'D

0:24-4:12 transitions to the United States; took two years to get visa paperwork approved as US was very strict about Jewish immigrants; sponsored by cousins who lived in New Jersey; was difficult to convince Max to travel to the US with her

4:12-8:44 travel to the US on the Queen Elizabeth ship; story of arriving to the US and meeting with her cousin; went with her Philadelphia cousin who took them in as they got on their feet

8:44-11:16 Max quickly gained a position at the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra; then went to Houston, where he remained until about 1960

11:16-12:12 Regina worked as a secretary, then became librarian at Albert Einstein Medical Center; was married in 1958

12:12-15:11 Max WINDER began auditioning for violin position in Boston; he quit the Houston orchestra to audition and was luckily accepted; began with the BSO in 1962; helped Max and his wife find a home because she was already living in Boston

15:26 INTERVIEW CONCLUDES

Tape 68, Side B

Interviewer: Bob Ripley Interviewee: Max Hobart Date: November 22, 1994 Location: Jamaica Plain, MA

0:10 INTERVIEW BEGINS

0:22-3:47 early life, born in Nebraska; father was a clarinetist and a saxophone player; no siblings, was an only child; remembered listening to live music even as a child; when he went to ask for a guitar, there were not enough, so was offered a violin instead and took that up

3:47-11:33 had a teacher and rented the violin; left the city when his father got another job; had been resistant to practicing, but when he had to return the violin, realized how important it was to him; classes were expensive, needed more advanced training; trained under Vera BARSTOW; entered local competitions in chamber music

12:29-17:20 entree to music business during college in California, did some studio and freelance work; joined newly formed orchestra at UCLA; was recruited for the graduate string quartet at USC while an undergrad; joined quartet in California and auditioned for Coleman together; played private concerts around California to raise money

17:20-20:14 met wife when both were in college; were married before graduating after his travels abroad; had known Carol all through high school; played community orchestras, studio work, etc. to make money; dropped out of school to support them as Carol was pregnant

20:14-22:10 took on work at his father's factory; took lessons once in a while but not regularly

22:10-27:14 auditioned for and was accepted to the New Orleans Symphony; moved Carol and the new baby to Louisiana; discussion of Alexander HILSBERG as conductor; struggled in New Orleans and wanted to leave; moved back to California

27:14-29:47 took audition for Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra with STEINBERG; had a poor first audition, was thrown off by need to sight read; did not get the position, so went home and studied the music; asked STEINBERG for a second audition, and this time was successful

29:47-33:25 auditioned for the National Symphony; accepted that position when he was auditioning for Pittsburgh; accepted National instead since he had not yet signed contract with Pittsburgh; had a summer job selling records; spent four years with this orchestra

33:25-37:40 auditioned for the Cleveland orchestra; SZELL was a good auditioner, though he spoke from the dark in the audition stage; audition felt very fleeting; was accepted to the Symphony; still worked in record sales for extra money

37:40-40:45 heard of violin opening at the BSO from someone who had been in the Cleveland Orchestra with him; auditioned for preliminary when LEINSDORF was not there; was told he would need to audition for LEINSDORF

40:45-46:05 auditioned successfully to move up a chair when George ZAZOFSKY left; auditioned for STEINBERG in Tanglewood; struggled with confidence during the audition

46:05-49:12 family life, children who are now in Washington and Cleveland; Boston was not much less expensive than Cleveland; so did chamber music and other odd jobs; in a chamber group with SCHNEIDER, HEARN, HEDBERG, and RIPLEY

49:12-49:54 won the audition to become second concertmaster of the Pops; reflections on career in BSO, was frequently put on the spot

49:54 RECORDING ENDS