Acclaimed Cleveland Orchestra conductor Louis Lane died Monday. He was 92 years old.
Born in Texas in 1923, he studied piano beginning at the age of 5 and went on to study composition at the University of Texas before serving three years in Army.
In 1947, Lane was appointed as apprentice conductor with the Cleveland Orchestra under one of the orchestra’s greats – George Szell.
Lane rose to become a resident conductor after Szell’s death in 1970; he served in the role from 1970 to 1974.
Lane led the world-famous orchestra in concerts at Severance Hall, Blossom Music Center and on tour.
While conducting the Cleveland Orchestra, Lane also served as the Music Director of the Akron Symphony Orchestra. His commitment there, 1958 to 1982, is credited with turning the Akron Symphony into a renowned ensemble.
In addition to conducting in Cleveland, Lane served as a guest conductor of the Dallas Symphony and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. His work in Atlanta would garner him a Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance in 1988 along with conductor Robert Shaw.
In northeast Ohio, he served in numerous education and advisor positions including as co-director of the Blossom Festival School at Kent State, music advisor at the Cleveland Institute of Music and as a faculty member of the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music.
A resident of Bratenahl, Mister Lane’s last performances with the Cleveland Orchestra were in 1994.
He received the Cleveland Arts Prize for Distinguished Service to the Arts in 1971 and the Cleveland Orchestra’s 2008 Distinguished Service Award.
