NAT SHILKRET AND THE VICTOR ORCHESTRA

Biography

Nathaniel 'Nat' Shilkret (December 25, 1889 – February 18, 1982) was an American composer, conductor, clarinetist, pianist, business executive, and music director who became one of the most prolific figures in recording history. Born in New York City to an Austrian immigrant musical family, Shilkret was a child prodigy who toured nationally with the New York Boys' Orchestra from ages 7 to 13 as their clarinet soloist. From his late teens through mid-twenties, he performed as a clarinetist in prestigious New York ensembles including the New York Philharmonic Society (under Gustav Mahler and Vassily Safanov), the Metropolitan Opera House Orchestra, and bands led by John Philip Sousa, Arthur Pryor, and Edwin Franko Goldman.

In 1915, Shilkret joined the Foreign Department of the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor), rapidly ascending to manager and eventually becoming 'Director of Light Music' in 1926. During his tenure at Victor, he conducted thousands of recordings—possibly more than any individual in recording history—with estimated sales reaching 50 million copies. He pioneered numerous recording innovations: conducting Victor's first electrically recorded disc in 1925, the first commercial long-playing record in 1931, and the first successful dubbing of electrical orchestra accompaniment over acoustically recorded vocals (notably Enrico Caruso's). Between 1925 and 1941, he made over 3,000 radio broadcasts. His premiere recording of George Gershwin's 'An American in Paris' in 1929 was among five of his recordings that eventually earned Grammy Awards.

After leaving Victor in 1935, Shilkret relocated to Los Angeles, where he contributed music scores and served as musical director for Hollywood studios including RKO (1935-1937), Walter Lantz Productions (1937), and MGM (1942-1946). He received an Oscar nomination for scoring Maxwell Anderson's stage drama 'Winterset' in 1936. From 1946 through the mid-1950s, he worked with RKO-Pathe producing short films. Shilkret's compositional legacy includes 'The Lonesome Road' (co-written with Gene Austin, recorded by over 200 artists including Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra) and 'Jeannine, I Dream of Lilac Time' (which sold nearly two million copies of sheet music). He was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame and won five Grammy Awards before his death in New York in 1982.

Fun Facts

• Shilkret made over 3,000 radio broadcasts between 1925 and 1941, establishing himself as one of radio's earliest stars during the medium's formative years.
• His composition 'The Lonesome Road' was recorded by over 200 artists including Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Paul Robeson, making it one of the most-recorded compositions of its era.
• Shilkret's 'Jeannine, I Dream of Lilac Time' sold nearly two million copies of sheet music alone and was recorded by over 100 top artists, demonstrating the extraordinary commercial success of his compositions.
• He conducted the first commercial long-playing (LP) record for Victor in 1931—a full decade before LPs became the industry standard—and was the first to successfully dub electrical orchestra accompaniment over acoustically recorded vocals of the deceased Enrico Caruso, pioneering a technique that would become standard in the recording industry.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Gustav Mahler - Shilkret performed as a clarinetist in the New York Philharmonic Society under Mahler's direction during his late teens to mid-twenties (New York Philharmonic Society performances) [Late 1900s-early 1910s]
• John Philip Sousa - Shilkret played clarinet in Sousa's Grand Concert Band, one of the best New York music organizations of his era (Sousa's Grand Concert Band) [Early 1910s]
• Arthur Pryor - Shilkret performed as a clarinetist in Arthur Pryor's Band (Arthur Pryor's Band) [Early 1910s]

Key Collaborators

• George Gershwin - Shilkret conducted the premiere recording of Gershwin's symphonic poem 'An American in Paris,' which earned a Grammy Award (An American in Paris (1929)) [1929]
• Enrico Caruso - Shilkret was the first conductor to successfully dub electrically recorded orchestra accompaniment over Caruso's acoustically recorded vocals (Caruso vocal recordings with electrical orchestra dubbing) [1920s-1930s]
• Tommy Dorsey - Dorsey was an orchestra member under Shilkret's direction and premiered Shilkret's Concerto for Trombone with the New York Symphony Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski (Victor Orchestra recordings; Concerto for Trombone premiere (1945)) [1920s-1940s]
• Benny Goodman - Goodman performed as an orchestra member under Shilkret's direction at Victor (Victor Orchestra recordings) [1920s-1930s]
• Glenn Miller - Miller was an orchestra member under Shilkret's direction (Victor Orchestra recordings) [1920s-1930s]
• Jascha Heifetz - Renowned violinist who performed under Shilkret's direction (Victor recordings) [1920s-1930s]
• Andrés Segovia - Classical guitarist who performed under Shilkret's direction (Victor recordings) [1920s-1930s]
• Gene Austin - Co-writer and original performer of 'The Lonesome Road' (The Lonesome Road) [1920s]
• Jan Peerce - Tenor soloist who performed with Shilkret conducting the Victor Symphony Orchestra (RCA Victor's multi-disc tribute to Victor Herbert (1939)) [1939]

Artists Influenced

• Bryan Free - Scottish trombonist who rescued Shilkret's Concerto for Trombone from obscurity in the early 2000s, bringing renewed attention to the work (Concerto for Trombone) [Early 2000s]

External Links

• Spotify