Dino Anagnost

Maestro Dino Anagnost, a conductor who served as music director of The Little Orchestra Society in New York since 1979, died in Manhattan on Wednesday.
He was born in Manchester on August 16, 1943 the son of Zissis and Stella Anagnost. He graduated from Boston University. He moved to New York to receive masters in conducting from the Juilliard School and a PhD in music from Columbia University.
A Greek-American with an ongoing interest in Greek music, Anagnost founded several choral groups in the 1980s including the Orpheon Chorale and Metropolitan Singers/The Greek Choral Society, based at Teacher’s College, Columbia University. He was also dean of music at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of North and South America on East 74th Street.
Anagnost took over the directorship of the 60-member professional chamber Little Orchestra Society after its founder, conductor Thomas Scherman, died in 1979. Under Anagnost’s direction, the ensemble presented an annual series of concerts at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York, as well as two longstanding children's series, "Happy Concerts" and "Lolli-Pops."
Anagnost was especially known for building creative and sometimes offbeat programs like "Music Takes Flight," an aviation-themed concert that ranged from Samuel Barber to Glenn Miller (co-produced with WQXR's Elliott Forrest); and “The Two Annas: Vivaldi's Muses,” which looked at the composer’s relationships with young women at an orphanage where he worked. Vivaldi was a longstanding interest and the Society presented an annual Vivaldi program for 20 years.

Anagnost also had an interest in vocal music, conducting operas by Mozart, Strauss, Bizet, Puccini and Vivaldi and the operettas of Sousa, Herbert, Strauss and Sullivan. He gave the Asian premieres of Menotti’s “The Medium” and “Amelia Goes to the Ball” and Poulenc’s “La Voix Humaine” for PBS's “Great Performances.”

In an age when many conductors move from post to post, the majority of Anagnost’s career was devoted to his work with The Little Orchestra Society, which was founded in 1947. Known as a gregarious personality and public speaker, Anagnost frequently spoke to audiences from the stage and narrated concerts. He was nominated for a Grammy Award and was conferred the honor of “Commendatore” in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic for his service to Italian music.

Survivors include his business partner of 45 years, John Kordel Juliano of New York City and Livingston, NY; a brother Dick Anagnost, a sister Debra Anagnost, a sister-in-law Demetria and three nephews Alexander, Stavros and Dimitri, all of Bedford.

Calling hours will be Sunday from 4 to 8 pm at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home, 1076 Madison Ave. at 81st St. Service Monday 10am at The Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, 319 East 74th St., New York City. In addition, calling hours will be at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 650 Hanover St on Tuesday from 4 to 7 PM. A memorial service will take place at St. George on Wednesday morning at 10:00. Committal services will follow in Pine Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to The Little Orchestra Society, 330 West 42nd Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10036. Phaneuf Funeral Homes and Crematorium is in charge of arrangements. For more information, go to www.phaneuf.net