Robert Commanday

Robert Paul Commanday (June 18, 1922 – September 3, 2015) was an American music critic who specialized in classical music. Among the leading critics of the West Coast, Commanday was a major presence in the Bay Area music scene over a five-decade career. From 1964 to 1994 he was the chief classical music critic of the San Francisco Chronicle, following which he became the founding editor of San Francisco Classical Voice in 1998.

As a critic, Commanday held high standards, though his writing was interspersed with humorous comments. His focus concerned American music in general, but particularly ensembles, performers and events in San Francisco. Also a music educator and choral conductor, Commanday held brief teaching posts at Ithaca College and the University of Illinois, before a decade of teaching music and conducting choirs at the University of California, Berkeley.

Early life and education Robert Paul Commanday was born on June 18, 1922, in Yonkers, New York. Of a Russian-Jewish family, his parents "loved music and prized education above all". The family regularly traveled to Manhattan for a variety of classical music performances, including the premiere of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. In addition, the family also attended operetta performances of works by Sigmund Romberg as well as Gilbert and Sullivan.

Commanday reportedly quipped that he "flunked retirement"; following his SF Chronicle tenure, he aimed to launch an online news site for the classical music scene of San Francisco. Commanday died on September 3, 2015, in Oakland, California.

Selected writings