WCLV'S ROBERT CONRAD IS HONORED BY ORCHESTRA


Conrad announcing a Cleveland Orchestra
concert from Miami's Knight Concert Hall.
Photo by Roger Mastroianni.

Prior to the Saturday, January 8, 2011, Cleveland Orchestra concert, WCLV's President Robert Conrad, whose long association with The Cleveland Orchestra goes back 45 years, received the fifteenth annual Cleveland Orchestra Distinguished Service Award, honoring a person or organization that has provided continuing exemplary service to the Musical Arts Association (MAA).  The Award was presented by Dennis W. LaBarre, President of the Board of Trustees of the Musical Arts Association, the parent organization of The Cleveland Orchestra, Severance Hall, and Blossom Music Center. The award is a custom carved bowl with a glass block detailing the name of the recipient and the date of the presentation.   

In addition to producing and voicing the broadcasts of the Orchestra, Conrad is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Musical Arts Association.

Executive Director Gary Hanson said, "I am sincerely grateful to Robert for many years of service in bringing The Cleveland Orchestra to listeners across the country and around the globe.  His voice and his vision have resonated for decades to the benefit of this institution and for all of classical music."

Previous Distinguished Service Award recipients are: Dorothy Humel Hovorka (1996-97), David Zauder (1997-98), Ward Smith (1998-99), Christoph von Dohnányi (1999-2000), Gary Hanson (2000-01), John Mack (2001-02), Richard J. Bogomolny (2002-03), Thomas W. Morris (2003-04), Alex Machaskee (2004-05), Klaus G. Roy (2005-06), John D. Ong (2006-07), Gerald Hughes (2007-08), Louis Lane (2008-09), and Clara Taplin Rankin (2009-10).

There's an interesting sidelight to the Award Presentation. Since Conrad could not be in the announce booth for the start of  the live broadcast, the opening section of the radio broadcast was announced by Executive Director Gary Hanson.