1944 Stadium Scrapbook (Part 1 of 2), Apr 23, 1944 - Jul 8, 1944

- Sir Thomas Beecham conducts the first week of concerts at Lewisohn Stadium - Service men and women to receive free admission to stadium concerts thanks to a fund organized by the Stadium Concerts Defense Entertainment Committee - Fritz Kreisler is the soloist at the opening concert in his first appearance at Lewisohn Stadium - Minnie Guggenheimer announces the 27th season of stadium concerts, expects largest turnout in the history of the series - Countess Mercati hosts a tea in honor of the Beechams and the Kreislers in anticipation of the opening Stadium concert of the season - Betty Humby-Beecham to feature as piano soloist in her debut stadium appearance with her husband, Sir Thomas Beecham, at the podium - Growing popularity of opera at the stadium concerts - Efrem Kurtz engaged to conduct program featuring Marian Anderson in mid-July - Soloists booked for stadium season include Jascha Heifetz, Marian Anderson, Nathan Milstein, Jennie Tourel, and Arthur Rubinstein - Opening concert delayed one day due to rain - Mayor La Guardia delivers welcome address at opening concert - New York Post profile of Samuel A. Lewisohn - Sir Beecham presents Wagner-Sibelius program - Alexander Smallens to conduct the Philharmonic in presentations of the Verdi operas Aida and Traviata with artists from the Metropolitan Opera - Arthur Rubinstein is soloist on an all-Russian program for a crowd of 18,000 - Stadium Concert programs - Vladimir Golschmann begins his engagement as guest conductor, with Bronislaw Huberman to appear as violin soloist - No Philharmonic concert is held at Lewisohn Stadium on the fourth of July, instead, the venue will be used for "The Stars Salute," a show organized to raise \$2,000,000 in Fifth War Loan bonds - Oscar Levant is soloist on the Concerto and Rhapsody in Blue in an all-Gershwin program, led by Golschmann - Eleanor Fine is soloist on the Chopin E minor piano concerto, Alexander Smallens conducting - Ballet program announced with Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin - Stadium Concerts present a program of traditional and classical Russian songs, featuring the General Platoff Don Cossack Chorus - All-Gershwin program draws largest Stadium attendance since Lily Pons concert in 1942 - New York Philharmonic celebrates 27 years of Stadium Concerts