Frank Salazar Dies; Founder of Symphony

Frank Salazar, founder of the Ventura County Symphony Orchestra and a renowned conductor for 30 years, has died after a brief, heart-related illness. He was 72.

The musician, who died Saturday, reigned as king of the county’s classical music scene for nearly 50 years, inspiring students at Ventura College and transforming the small community symphony into an influential regional orchestra.

Salazar spent countless hours on educational programs, mentoring budding musicians in his free time. He also founded the Ventura County Youth Symphony.

The amiable conductor handed over the reins of the county’s growing symphony orchestra in 1992, saying: “I’m not leaving a job. I’m handing over my life’s work.”

Frank Anthony Salazar was born Oct. 2, 1927, in Albuquerque.

As a boy, Salazar would awaken to the sound of opera from his mother’s radio, said Judith Salazar, his wife of 50 years. His own children, growing up in Ventura many years later, would awaken to the same operatic radio tunes on Saturday mornings.

“Ever since he was a child, he wanted to conduct,” said his son, Gregory, 45. “When he was very young--6, 7, 8--he would be listening and studying, always learning. He had a great passion for it when other kids were out doing other things.”

In high school, Salazar played clarinet in a symphony orchestra. He studied at the Juilliard School of Music, and received a bachelor of music degree from USC, where he met his wife.

The couple looked at various Southern California cities before Salazar took a job teaching at Oxnard High School, where he was put in charge of the band.

“When he got there, he just told the band, ‘Hey, we are going to form an orchestra,’ ” Gregory said. “The kids got impassioned about it, and on Saturday mornings he would have string classes for them so they could get extra practice.”

Gregory said he and his three siblings grew up playing string instruments.

After earning a master’s of music degree from USC in 1956, Salazar joined the faculty at Ventura College, teaching music theory along with other music classes.

“He loved music so much that he just made it come alive for people,” said Judith, who worked as a research librarian at the same college. “His enthusiasm made other people enthusiastic. He was so interested in it and it was so meaningful to him that he never wanted to do anything else.”

In 1962, he founded the Ventura County Symphony Orchestra and was the group’s only leader until his retirement 30 years later. Under his tutelage, the orchestra grew from a provincial community group, where almost every musician was based in Ventura County, to a professional organization that drew musicians from around the country.

“My mission with the symphony has always been to maintain the highest standards in classical music, something that is delicate and vulnerable in today’s cultural atmosphere,” Salazar said at his retirement.

Salazar was one of the most visible figures in the county’s arts community when he retired. He attracted thousands of symphony patrons, while continuing to inspire young people through his classes at Ventura College.

Despite his success, Salazar was humble about his accomplishments. “Frank was very philosophical,” Judith Salazar said. “Every community needs culture. It was lacking here, and he felt if he hadn’t helped fill it, somebody else would have moved in and done that.”

During his retirement, Salazar attended concerts, read, listened to music, and he and his wife traveled to Europe. He also acted as an itinerant conductor, directing and performing in concerts in Spain, Switzerland and Mexico.

Salazar received many awards and recognition for his contribution to the arts, including the first Latino Achievement Award from Gente Magazine in 1983, Outstanding Community Contributor in 1984 from the Oxnard City Council, Ventura Citizen of the Year in 1986 and Ventura College Academic Senate Community Award in 1987. He was entered into the Congressional Record in 1992 for his contribution to the “cultural resources of Ventura County.”

In addition to his wife, he is survived by sons Arthur of Oceanside, Gregory of Madrid, and Phillip of Ventura; daughter Christine of Irvine; brother Lester of Albuquerque; and four grandchildren.

Private services and interment will be held at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Ventura Chamber Music Orchestra and Festival.

Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.