Alfonso D'Artega

Alfonso D'Artega (June 5, 1907 – January 20, 1998), often known simply as D'Artega, was a songwriter, conductor, arranger and actor. His song "In the Blue of Evening", co-written with Tom Adair, was a number one hit for the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in 1943.

D'Artega was born in Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico. His family emigrated to the U.S. in 1918. D'Artega studied music and composition at Strassberger's Conservatory in St. Louis, Missouri with Boris Levenson, who was a pupil of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. He became a well-known conductor on stage and on air, and in 1946 initiated the Carnegie Hall "Pops" concerts with members of the New York Philharmonic. In 1947 he played the role of Tchaikovsky in the film Carnegie Hall, conducting the film score as well. He was guest conductor with, among others, the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra, the Miami Symphony Orchestra, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and the NBC Symphony of the Air.

D'Artega wrote over 50 songs. Perhaps his most widely recognized composition in the U.S. is "The NBC Chimes Theme".

One of D'Artega's earlier ventures was D'Artega's All-Girl Orchestra, a twenty-piece show band. The group was formed in New York City in 1942 and appeared in the Broadway play called "Hair Pin Harmony". As a result of that success, the group was booked by the newly formed United Service Organization (USO) Camp Shows. The group traveled coast to coast playing at various military bases, ending in California where they were featured in the Paramount Pictures release "You Can’t Ration Love".

The All-Girl Orchestra continued with the USO and traveled throughout the European and Pacific theaters during World War II. The first tour started in Italy and followed the advance of Allied troops into Germany, France, and Czechoslovakia. The orchestra continued service with the USO traveling to China, Japan, and islands in the Pacific. D'Artega was not only the inspiration, but wrote, arranged, and conducted the group.

In 1953, D'Artega was the conductor for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in the Summer Pops Concert at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, New York when they performed the musical composition co-written by Maestro D'Artega and composers Helmy Kresa, and Michael P. Grace II. The composition, titled Space Taxi Selections, was described by the Buffalo Courier-Express as "musical impressionism with a jive tempo". The newspaper also reported how the selections "brought a burst of applause from the audience".

For the 1973 film Fifty Years of Thorns and Roses, a documentary about saint, priest, and mystic Padre Pio of Pietrelcena, Alfonso D'Artega had composed and copyrighted the score.

Filmography

Discography +TitleYearWordsMusicPeace or War?

Prayer for Disarmament

(The Swan) 1978Bernard E. StankiewiczAlfonso D'ArtegaFifty Years of Thorns and Roses For 6-part chorus of mixed voices with piano 1955 Charles J. White Alfonso D'Artega Fire and Ice Ballet 1954 Alfonso D'Artega Astral Ballet 1953 Alfonso D'Artega & Michael Grace My Heart is Gay 1953 William D. Van Ness Alfonso D'Artega All This Could Be a Dream 1953 William D. Van Ness Alfonso D'Artega Stories in the Stars 1951 Dick Sanford Alfonso D'Artega The song that made you mine 1951 William Carroll Loveday Alfonso D'Artega Romance in Carnegie Hall

(from film Carnegie Hall) 1947 Alfonso D'Artega & Buddy Kaye Alfonso D'Artega & Buddy Kaye Valley of Dreams-come-true 1947 Jack Lawrence, Paul Reif, & Alfonso D'Artega Jack Lawrence, Paul Reif, & Alfonso D'Artega Dream Concerto'' 1947Alfonso D'Artega & Paul ReifAlfonso D'Artega & Paul ReifGo Sleepy Sleep 1946Alfonso D'Artega & Eddie WhiteAlfonso D'Artega & Eddie White