SAMUEL ANTEK

Samuel began his violin studies in Chicago and became a protégé of the famous teacher, Leopold Auer. He soon won a fellowship to attend the Juilliard Foundation and played solo concerts extensively. In 1937, Mr. Antek was selected to become a first violinist for the NBC Symphony, an orchestra created by RCA for the legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini. He was a member of the orchestra for all of its 17 years, from 1937 to 1954. Antek also launched his own career as a conductor. While continuing to play first violin for NBC, he became musical director and conductor of the New Jersey Symphony in 1947 and the associate conductor of the Chicago Symphony under Fritz Reiner.

After inaugurating his distinctive Young People's Concerts series in New Jersey, Antek was named the director of all Young People's Concerts of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He guest conducted the NBC Symphony, Houston Symphony, and Buffalo Philharmonic, among others.

Samuel Antek died suddenly at age 49 in January 1958. This Was Toscanini, his unique evaluation of the Maestro, was published posthumously.

LUCY ANTEK JOHNSON

Samuel Antek's daughter, was born and raised in New York City. After studying music, fine art, and ballet, she was drawn to the world of television production and spent her entire career in the entertainment industry, working with such producers as Martin Charnin, Harry Belafonte, David Susskind, and Roone Arledge. When she moved to Los Angeles in 1978, she produced movies for television, then joined NBC as a network executive.

She soon worked her way up to senior vice president of daytime and children's programs for CBS, a position she held for 14 years.

She paints, writes, and every so often gets up the nerve to sit at the piano and play a favorite Bach or Chopin prelude.