Orchestra leader Norman Mamey dies

By Mark Kellam

Jan. 22, 2015 6:01 PM PT

Norman Mamey, former conductor of the Glendale Symphony Orchestra and founder of the new Premiere Orchestra, has died following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

A conductor, producer and musical director, his accomplishments include a Grammy for an album with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra as well as movie, stage and TV credits and numerous awards.

He directed the Christmas Eve celebration at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for a number of years and taught at UCLA, Pepperdine and Citrus College. At the time of his death, he was also the chairman of the advisory board of the Glendale Salvation Army.

Mamey launched a new orchestra at the Alex Theatre with a holiday program last month. The “Christmas Musical Spectacular” featured the inaugural performance of his new Premiere Orchestra.

Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 2449 N. Vermont Ave., with a Trisagion service at 7 p.m. Monday at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Cathedral, 2300 W. Third St., Los Angeles.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in honor of Norman Henry Mamey to: The Los Angeles Premiere Orchestra, P.O. Box 80683 San Marino CA 91108-0683, call (310) 567-9542 or visit www.lapremiereorchestra.org/donate.

Mark Kellam

Mark Kellam was city editor of the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader. He joined Times Community News in July 2011 as the business-politics reporter and was promoted to city editor in January 2013. Previously, he was an editor at the Los Angeles Daily News and managing editor at Champion Newspapers in Chino, Calif. Prior to that, he was an editor at Amos Suburban Newspapers in Dayton, Ohio, for several years. Kellam holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University.