Biography
Acclaimed conductor, instrumentalist, educator, and author, Carl Topilow’s eclectic career has seen him exert a positive influence over countless conductors, orchestral musicians, choristers, and audiences. Many of his conducting students from the Cleveland Institute of Music and assistant conductors from the National Repertory Orchestra may be found in prominent positions throughout the world. Topilow continues his role as educator through his work as clinician and teacher for conductors. A frequent guest conductor, Topilow has performed in this role with 134 different orchestras in 37 states and 12 foreign countries.
Topilow is the founding conductor of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra as well as conductor of the Firelands Symphony Orchestra, based in Sandusky, Ohio. After 42 years as conductor of the National Repertory Orchestra (NRO), a summer festival in Breckenridge, Colorado, he continues an active role with the orchestra as Conductor Laureate. He was named Faculty Emeritus after 37 years as Conductor and Director of the Orchestral Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) and instructor for the master’s program in orchestral conducting. Past positions include principal pops conductor of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra and Mansfield Symphony Orchestra and principal guest conductor of the Florida Lakes Symphony. He also conducted the famed ensemble Summit Brass for many years.
In addition, Topilow continues to perform as clarinetist in a variety of styles, including popular, jazz, classical, and Klezmer, often playing one of his brightly colored clarinets.
Topilow’s late wife Shirley Morgenstern, the founder of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, served as President and CEO of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra for 30 years. Through her inspired leadership, the orchestra continues to perform entertaining and interactive performances throughout northeast Ohio. Their daughter Emily is now working as Director of Strategy and Planning with the orchestra and plays locally as violinist with the Heights Chamber Orchestra. Their daughter Jenny is a violinist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.
SPECIALTIES:
Conducting gestures
Rehearsing orchestras
Score analysis
Programming
Pops concerts
Audition prep
How to win a conducting job and keep it
Conducting recitatives in Mozart operas
LANGUAGES:
English, Italian, Spanish (limited French and German)
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