SPITALNY, MAURICE (27 Feb. 1893-28 Oct. 1986) musician and director of Cleveland's theater orchestras, was born in Odessa, Russia, the son of Jacob and Rachel (Burstein) Spitalny. He and his family came to Cleveland in 1905 where he attended public schools. Like his brothers Phil and H. Leopold, Maurice became a musician, pursuing his musical studies at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and later at the Royal Conservatory of Berlin as a scholarship student. An accomplished violinist, Spitalny gave music lessons in the city and was assistant concertmaster of the CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA during its first season 1918-19. He led the orchestra at the METROPOLITAN THEATER on Euclid Ave. at E. 49th St. and was musical director of the Stillman and State theaters in the 1920s and 1930s. Spitalny moved to Pittsburgh in 1938 and became supervisor of music at radio station KDKA where he directed many musical shows, including "A Festival of Music," which was carried nationally by NBC. He also served as bandleader on Pittsburgh stations KQV-AM, WJAS-AM, and KDKA-TV. Retired in Florida by the late-1960s, he remained active in the music world.
Spitalny married Dorothy E. Kahn 1 June 1915, and they had three children, Jean, Iris, and James. He died in Hollywood, Florida.
Last Modified: 01 Jul 2009 09:26:10 PM- Related Article(s)