Wilsonville Spokesman Online

The Master's Touch

Violinist Harold Wolf presents a concert at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at The Wilsonville

• By: Michelle Te  
• Published: 10/9/2009 10:11:56 AM

Photo By: Michelle TeViolinist
Harold Wolf spends his retirement in Wilsonville after a long career as a concertmaster and recording artist for some of Hollywood's biggest movies.

“Let’s face it,” says Harold Wolf, a former concert violinist, “I’m only human.”

Yet, the 88-year-old Wilsonville resident played violin for more than eight decades, both as a concertmaster and recording artist for some of Hollywood’s biggest films, in several states and at all levels.

“E.T?” “Star Wars?” “Edward Scissorhands” and “Star Trek?” Wolf was there, playing for great movie directors like John Williams, having lunch with the actors in the commissary, and welcoming music legends into his home for dinner.

He picked up the violin at age 4, telling his parents his was interested in learning.  His teacher was Artur Argeivich, associate concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony.
Within four years, Wolf received a scholarship to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, so the family packed up and moved from California to the East Coast.

“I had a very excellent teacher,” he said from his current home at The Wilsonville senior living community. “I didn’t have a particularly musical family. I obviously had a natural talent, but talent alone won’t do it. It was hard work for my entire career.”

The Wolf family moved just as the stock market crashed in 1929, and the country fell into a deep economic depression. But Harold’s father, a photographer, seemed to find work to support the family. The scholarship helped pay living expenses as well.

As a young boy, Wolf was playing four to six hours of violin a day and, he feels, by age 10 had acquired all the technical skill he would need to carry him throughout his life.

“It’s so important to get it while you’re young,” he said. “It doesn’t matter which instrument you’re playing, you have to get the technique right, and you really have to work.”

In 1932, Wolf received the New York Philharmonic Scholarship, studying for four years with the great concertmaster of the orchestra, Mishel Piastro.

At age 14, Wolf was among 33 applicants applying for two open spots in the Julliard Conservatory of Music.

“I got one of those openings and yes, I was pretty excited,” he said, his voice punctuated with a matter-of-fact confidence that comes from years of playing at such a high level. “Now, I was able to get a much broader musical education. I could study composition, conducting and orchestra training, which were all things I was interested in.”

Four years later, Wolf had the equivalent of a college degree and was ready to tackle the world. He was classically-trained and preferred to play the great masters, using a Rosenthal violin made for him as a Julliard student. Among his favorites is Mozart, the one composer he could play if all the rest vanished.

“I love all of them, but if I was forced to remain with one, without a doubt, it would be Mozart,” he said. “He’s the greatest composer who ever lived, a phenomenal genius, the best this world has ever known.”

Mozart’s technical ability, “his certain intangible genius,” and penchant for writing such stirring pieces of music have always left Wolf awed.

“My wife, Katie, says there’s no such thing as perfection, but I said, yes there is with Mozart. He was absolute perfection. The notes went right from his pen to the manuscript with nothing in between.”

Despite his virtuoso for the violin, Wolf was drafted into the U.S. Navy during World War II, serving in the European theater. But his musical abilities would not be ignored and he brought his Rosenthal with him.
NBC radio featured a different military band each week and Wolf’s 98th Division, of which Wolf was the featured soloist, was aired over the radio. In Lisbon, Ohio, a young lady named Katherine Steve, took notice.

Not only did she pay attention, she wrote Wolf his first and only fan letter.

“That was so unusual,” he said. “I looked at the return address, and it said ‘Lisbon, Ohio.’ I didn’t know anyone from Lisbon or where that was. But it was one heck of a fan letter.”

Three months later, he met the pretty girl from Lisbon, and they soon were married while Wolf had two weeks leave from the Navy. They eventually had one daughter and have been married for 65 years.

“My wife’s not a musician, but she loves music, always has,” Wolf said. “The romance started at that point, and it hasn’t stopped. My wife is an extremely intelligent person and we’ve learned that it’s important to respect one another.”

While they learned the give and take that comes with a relationship, and giving each other time to pursue individual interests, they also enjoyed doing so many things together.

They relied on that bonding while traveling and living in various states, following Wolf’s musical career. He spent nearly two decades in Utah, five years in Alabama, finally returning to California, where he became concertmaster of the San Diego Symphony.

Working from season to season for nonprofit organizations often made it hard to support a family. He finally found financial security working as a freelance recording artist in Hollywood from 1971 to 1993, playing for the biggest movie studios – MGM, Paramount, Universal and Fox.

“We were living in so many places during my career,” said Wolf, a man with a compact build who’s known for wearing shorts every day. “We traveled and had an interesting existence, meeting virtually all the great musicians of the 20th century.”

Wolf learned to have a great appreciation for opera and jazz music, even tickling the piano keys a bit. He also met most of the great conductors of the 20th century and, during his last week in Hollywood, played for the iconic Frank Sinatra.

The crooner assembled a top-notch list of musicians, the best he could find in Los Angeles. Wolf made the short list, and the group of players received specific instructions. There would be no stopping for rehearsals, and no one was allowed to approach the singer and start a conversation.

Thus, Wolf was out of luck when it came to meeting the superstar. Nevertheless, he marveled at Sinatra’s expertise.

“What an experience,” he said. “He’s a perfectionist. He was all business, there was no triviality. But, I must say, he knew his stuff. He was terrific.”

But playing for motion pictures was tough work, and Wolf could easily find himself in a recording studio for nine hours a day. By the early ‘90s, with Wolf now past 70 years old, retirement beckoned. He wouldn’t stop playing – and still hasn’t – but he’d made enough money to live comfortably. He wanted to spend time with his family, which included two grandchildren in Oregon.

In fact, Wolf’s granddaughter, Mikylah Myers McTeer, followed quite closely in his footsteps, and is now an assistant professor of violin at West Virginia University. She maintains an active chamber music and solo performance schedule, much of which stems from summers with her grandfather.

“When we were living in L.A., she used to come down every summer to study with me for two months,” he said. “In fact, I’d greet her on the plane, and say ‘Well, your free and easy days are over.’ She got plenty of instruction from Grandpa.

“And she’s one of the finest violinist of her generation.”

Several years ago, Wolf gave his granddaughter his most treasured violin, a Carlo Bergonzi II, made in Cremona, Italy.

“The Bergonzi family worked alongside Stradivarius and their instruments are known for their superb tone,” said McTeer. “He also gave me a bow made by French bowmaker Francois Pecatte.”

This gift had great meaning for the young violinist, who now uses both the Rosenthal and the Bergonzi for her teaching and performances.

“My grandfather has been a wonderful mentor through the years,” she said. “He has so many stories about great musicians with whom he performed and also has a wealth of knowledge about the interpretation of music. He is highly respected in the musical world.”

Days are much slower and calmer now, but Harold still pulls out his Mathias Thir instrument, with the bow itself worth thousands, and warms up at least an hour before practicing. It’s just something that has been part of his life, a piece he can’t let go of.

Twice a year, he plays for his fellow residents at The Wilsonville, making this Saturday part of one of those times.

“I’ve had no regrets,” he said. “It’s been a highly interesting and varied life.” 

Career highlights:
•   Began study of the violin at age four in San Francisco with Artur Argeivich, Associate Concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony.
•   At age eight, received a scholarship to the Curtis Institute of Music, studying violin with the famed concert artist Efrem Zimbalist.
•   In 1932, received the New York Philharmonic Scholarship, studying for four years with the great Concertmaster of the orchestra, Mishel Piastro.
•   In 1936, won a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music in New York City, studying violin with Sascha Jacobsen, first violinist of the Musical Arts Quartet, conducting with Albert Stossel, theory, harmony and composition with David Diamond.
•   Was a member of the U.S. armed forces during WWII, serving in the European Theater of Operations.
•   Became a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 1947.
•   Upon recommendation of Bruno Walter, great German conductor, was appointed Concertmaster of the Utah Symphony by music director Maurice Abravanel in 1952. At the same time, joined the music faculty as adjunct professor of violin and conducting at the University of Utah, and conductor of the university symphony orchestra.
•   Appointed Music Director and conductor of the Utah Civic Ballet in 1959 by famed choreographer and ballet director, Willem Christisnsen.
•   Concertmaster and Associate conductor, Birmingham Symphony 1966-1971.
•  Concertmaster, San Diego Symphony, 1971-1974.
•  Member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra under Gerhan Schwartz 1976-1984.
•  Free lance Hollywood recording artist 1971-1993.
•   Moved to Lake Oswego with wife Katherine in 1993. Became a resident of The Wilsonville in August 2007.
•  Concertmaster of the Portland Chamber Orchestra from 1994-2000.
•  Harold and Katie have one married daughter, who lives in Oregon, two married grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
•  Harold and Katie have been married for 65 years.

  (log in to rate)