Taavo Virkhaus, Music Director and Conductor of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra from 1989-2003, died of Covid on Feb 10. Taavo was born on June 29, 1934 in Tartu, Estonia to a family of conductors. His grandfather, David Otto Virkhaus, is considered the Father of Estonian Band Music; the Estonian Songfest held every four years begins with a parade carrying a torch lit from the eternal fire which burns at his grave. Taavo’s father, Adalbert August Virkhaus, was the first professionally trained (in Leipzig, Germany) conductor of the Estonian Opera House. Taavo began conducting as a four-year-old guest conductor of a summer band in a resort town, and was a huge hit.
During the WWII Russian occupation of Estonia, Adalbert was forewarned by a former student passing by in the street: “If I were you, I and my family would not be home tonight.” The family immediately left for relatives in the country, thus escaping the fate of the thousands who were sent to Siberia that night. There followed five years in refugee camps all over Europe. The family was able to stay together because the parents were too old, and Taavo and his sister Kirsti too young, to work in the war factories. During this time, Taavo continued to study the violin, but as there was no sheet music to be had, his father wrote out much of the violin repertory from memory.
When the war ended they were in Czechoslovakia, in the Russian zone. Because they were still on the Siberia list, they knew they had to get out before the Russians occupied the area. Adalbert, who was fluent in both German and Russian, had been the translator for the young mayor; in return for this, the mayor gave the family safe traveling papers to get to the American zone. Everywhere they went, they had to show their papers. The last leg of the harrowing trip found them sneaking through the woods to avoid Russian soldiers. When they finally reached the American zone, the guards did not ask for papers, but welcomed them in with open arms.
After several years in American camps, Adalbert received a job offer in Fort Lauderdale, which allowed the family to come to America. Taavo graduated from Fort Lauderdale High School, and about this time became an American citizen. He received a full-tuition scholarship for playing in the orchestra of the University of Miami, where he graduated with honors. He received his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting and Composition from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where he also was given full scholarships for playing in the orchestras; Taavo always credited his education to his violin. He then served on the conducting faculty of the Eastman School of Music, where his First Violin Concerto was awarded the Howard Hanson Prize. Here he met his wife, Nancy.
Taavo was the Music Director and Conductor of both the Duluth-Superior and the Huntsville Symphony Orchestras, with many guest conducting engagements around the world. He wrote six symphonies and two violin concertos, as well as many incidental pieces.
Taavo always claimed he was the biggest patriot, and loved the United States for what it is, as well as for the opportunities it gave him.
He is survived by his wife Nancy, a nephew, Rick Kjeldsen, and niece, Deena Durant.
Because of the pandemic, no gathering is being planned. Donations in his name may be made to the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, PO Box 2400, Huntsville, AL 35804 or https://www.hso.org or the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild, also at P. O. Box 2400, Huntsville, AL 35804.
