Pianist André Watts soared to worldwide fame in the 1960s and played his first concert dates with the Utah Symphony soon after. Maurice Abravanel was music director at the time, and the two musicians became great friends. On the eve of his return to Utah, Watts shared some of his memories with The Salt Lake Tribune.
Utah Symphony concerts were in the Salt Lake Tabernacle during Watts’ first Utah visits. The first time Watts came, Abravanel showed him a janitor’s room in the Tabernacle basement where he said the pianist could open a window and smoke, if he "felt compelled."
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Then Abravanel told Watts he had given up his own nicotine habit so he could work in the Tabernacle without causing offense.
"It made an enormous impression on me," Watts said. "After that, I wouldn’t dream of smoking there, and never did. Somehow, I think [Abravanel] rather liked my decision."
Watts remembers, in 1979, being the last scheduled guest artist to perform under Abravanel’s baton. The 76-year-old conductor fell ill during a concert in Ogden, and assistant conductor Ardean Watts conducted the remaining concerts of Watts’ engagement.
André Watts was saddened when Abravanel announced he would retire. Soon after, The New York Times ran a story speculating on possible successors.
The list of possible conductors was meant to include Ardean Watts (Varujan Kojian eventually won the post), but a copy editor assumed that "Ardean" was a misspelling and printed André Watts’ name instead.
"A couple of hours after the story came out, I got a call from the New York Philharmonic, inviting me to conduct two weeks of their next season," André Watts said, laughing. "I could have had two weeks with the New York Philharmonic!"
Celia R. Baker
Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
