Musical America reports that the great American conductor James DePreist
passed away this morning in Scottsdale, AZ, at 76, due to
complications from an earlier heart attack. Born in Philadelphia in 1936, and the nephew of Marion Anderson, Mr. DePreist was a prominent, gifted
musician who won the Dimitri Mitropoulos International Music
Competition for Conductors in 1964, and spent more than two decades as
the music director of the Oregon Symphony. He leaves behind numerous
distinguished recordings.

In this 2009 video, Mr. DePreist tells
Seattle journalist and composer Melinda Bargreen about his early career
path. The video quality is nothing special, but the conversation
certainly is. I'm glad to have had a few chances to see him conduct in
person, notably a memorable Mahler Fifth Symphony with the Juilliard
Orchestra, about which we exchanged pleasant emails after my New York Times review appeared.

RIP, Mr. DePreist.