Philip Kahgan, Veteran of Philharmonic, Dies

Philip Kahgan, the veteran principal violist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic who also shaped and guided the tradition-rich Sunday concerts at the County Museum of Natural History in Exposition Park, has died. He was 93.

Kahgan, who assembled orchestras for such distinguished conductors as Leopold Stokowski, Bruno Walter, Pierre Monteux and Otto Klemperer when those maestros performed here, died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

The Russian-born Kahgan emigrated to the United States in 1909 when he was only 17 but already skilled on the viola.

He was first chair violist with the Philharmonic during its formative years--1921 to 1941, frequently appearing as soloist--and later became known around the country for his ability to quickly gather symphonic ensembles for recordings, concerts or films. Many of those groups provided the long-ago summer entertainment at the Hollywood Bowl.

For nearly 50 years he both performed in and assembled the orchestras for many of Paramount Studio’s pictures, including the Bob Hope-Bing Crosby “Road” comedies.

He also was musical contractor for the Glendale Symphony, the San Francisco and Pasadena Opera companies and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

In 1945 Kahgan was asked to provide the musicians for the then-infant Sunday chamber series at the museum. For 52 Sundays each year until shortly before his death he continued to schedule the groups, replace musicians who were ill or otherwise unable to attend and generally cope with the myriad problems inherent in being the musical director of such a long-term endeavor.

Acknowledging those difficulties in a 1982 interview with The Times, Kahgan said: “We don’t kid ourselves that we can reach the highest chamber-music standards every Sunday, but, at the least, our programs (broadcast over radio station KFAC) are educational.”

Kahgan figured he had coordinated more than 1,700 such concerts by 1983.

Survivors include his wife, Florence, a son and daughter.