Álvaro Cassuto

Álvaro Cassuto (born 1938), Portuguese composer and conductor. Original, vintage, pen and ink, "on-the-spot" illustration by George 'Georges' Krishizki. The hand drawn illustration has been signed by Cassuto and additionally signed and dated and titled by Krishizki: "Georges / 1983 / Álvaro Cassuto conducting The National Orchestra of New York."

A leading Portuguese conductor, Cassuto has been music director of the Portuguese Radio Symphony, the New Portuguese Philharmonia, the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, the Algarve Orchestra and the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra. In the United States, he was music director of the University of California Symphony Orchestra at Irvine, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, the National Orchestra of New York. He was also music director of the Israel Raana Symphony Orchestra. As a guest conductor, he has worked with the London Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic, the BBC Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Berlin Radio Symphony, the National Orchestra of Spain in Madrid, and many other orchestras all over Europe, North and South America, and the far East.

George 'Georges' Krishizki (March 22, 1924 – December 20, 2001), Russian-Polish-American illustrator who came to the U.S. in 1949. While he earned acclaim for his renderings of the city’s architectural landmarks, it was his on-the-spot drawings of musicians in performance that attracted an especially appreciative audience. In a 1973 article published in conjunction with two simultaneous exhibitions, Georges explained the genesis of his long-running engagement with the concert hall: “I’ve always enjoyed going to concerts, and one day I decided it would be fun to combine my interests in music and art and make sketches of musicians during performances.”  Indeed, the most remarkable feature of Georges’ oeuvre, apart from the astounding range of performers who gladly expressed their approval and appreciation by signing, is the skill with which the drawings are accomplished.

This original pen and ink illustration, measuring approximately 9 x 12, on heavy-weight sketch paper, is in fine condition with some light overall toning. Its verso is blank and clean.