Eastman School of Music - Score Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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Democrat 8: Chronicle Rochester, New York Thursday, May 25, 1972 H ndl uits Eastman School Po t By MARK STARR Walter Hendl has resigned as director of the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music effective immediately. In a letter to the university's chancellor, W. Allen Wallis, the 55-year-old I-Iendle said he was resigning for reasons of health. Hendl, who has been the school's director for almost eight years, was unavailable for comment. Hendle wrote the letter of resignation from the Women's Christian Hospital in Jamestown where he'd been a patient for 10 days. I-Ie had said earlier he was undergoing tests and a complete physical examination. The hospital said I-Iendle was to be discharged yesterday and he left orders refusing all telephone calls. Chancellor Wallis said that the resignation was accepted because concern for Mr. I-Iendl's health left no alterna- tive, and that assistant director Daniel Patrylak will take over as acting director. He said the search committee that has been seeking a new director of faculty for more than two months will now con- centrate on locating a successor for Hendl. The candidates for the dean of faculty position have been narrowed to a viable list of under 15 and involve people who would certainly be under consideration for the school's directorship, said Dr. Samuel Adler, professor of composi- tion at Eastman and head of the search committee. Adler said he hoped the committee could recommend a successor very, very soon. We've been working at a breakneck speed, he said. Judy Brown, director of public relations at the university, said the directorship search has top priority, but no dead- line has been set. They're not going to let their choice be influenced by time considerations, said Mrs. Brown, who added that any search for a dean of faculty will be put off until after a direc- tor is selected. 121 She said there was no indication whether Hendl would retain his professorship in conducting at Eastman. Dr. Oscar E. Remick, president and director of program at the Chautauqua Institution, said he expects Hendl to be there to conduct the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra this summer. The first scheduled performance for the sympho- ny, which Hendl has conducted for 19 years, is july 15. I just hope he will want to and feel that he will be able to do it, Remick said. Patrylak, the acting director, said no major problems have been created nor major changes contemplated immediately due to the resignation. One of the highlights of school activities during Hendl's tenure has been the school's soth anniversary festival dur- ing the last year. A number of works were commissioned especially for the festival and had their premieres here and the school has held four special symposia. The resignation came after a stormy year for Hendl, who assumed the school's directorship on july 1, 1964. On March 2, he resigned as musical advsior to the Roch- ester Philharmonic Orchestra citing dissatisfaction with the way the Civic Music Association cast his role in the firing of four Philharmonic musicians and the placing on proba- tion of a fifth. He also claimed he was seldom consulted on choices for guest conductor and soloists or on programming. Eleven days later, the Eastman School Undergraduate Association issued a six-part resolution calling for the re- moval of Hendl as the school's director. Arthur Stidfole, student association president, was not available for comment yesterday, and student vice president Richard Decker said he preferred to withhold comment. Before assuming the directorship at Eastman, Hendl had been assistant conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orches- tra for five years and musical director and conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for nine years. . I mills?-Qlilizfzrzvv I 1 4

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