After 26 years as the music director of the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestra, former Andrew Warde High School Headmaster Robert Genualdi is retiring June 30. His final concert is scheduled for the third Sunday in May at the Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport."It was actually wonderful for me," Genualdi told me by telephone this afternoon from his Park City home where he lives with his wife, Dorothy. "As a headmaster of a large high school, I had to leave the teaching field, and I didn't have the opportunity to interact with the children. It put me back in a teaching position working with children."
What is he most proud of over the last quarter-century-plus? "I initiated two unique opportunities for the children," he told me. "Every other year I enlisted a first-rate professional soloist to work with the children." Some of the soloists included Chris Brubeck, whose father is the legendary Dave Brubeck, and Genualdi's son, Joseph, of Chicago.
"I strongly believe in contemporary music and have kids interact with live composers," he added. "The other year we commissioned a work to be performed by living musicians." He said Mozart and Bach will always have a place when teaching children about great music, but working with a current composer is more meaningful to the students, he emphasized. David Gilbert, a composer and conductor from Bridgeport, was one of the musicians whom Genualdi had work closely with the students.
Genualdi also told me that when he took over the helm of the orchestra 26 years ago, there were 65 children in grades seven through twelve. Today, 260 children are involved ranging from fifth to twelfth grades, and there are four orchestras.
Genualdi served as headmaster at Andrew Warde and Fairfield high schools from the Autumn of 1975, our senior year, through the Spring of 1993. The transition from a single high school to the consolidation of Warde and Ludlowe wasn't as difficult as one might think.
"That went quite smoothly, except for the political process," he told me. "Charles Fowler (who was the superintendent) made me the headmaster for both schools for two years. Ed Shine, who was the headmaster at Ludlowe, moved. I was the 'shuttle' principal.
"I got to interact with with the staffs (from both Warde and Ludlowe) before we combined," he added, telling me that made it a lot easier for everybody. "And I got to work with the parents. It was a very smooth transition. We expanded our opportunities in music and sports."
Genualdi told me that it was a lot easier for him because the new high school was located at the former AWHS. However, it wasn't all "peaches and cream." "There were people who could not accept that either of the schools was closing," he said to me. The Ludlowe alumni, according to Genualdi, were the most vocal opponents to the consolidation at the Melville Avenue campus. "They resented having that school close. However, it went very, very well."
So, what are his plans now that he won't be leading the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestra after the May concert? "I will devote time to arranging and conducting," he told me. "As long as my health allows, I still play with the Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra and the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra. My wife will remain as conductor with one of the younger orchestras."
Mark the third Sunday of May on your calendar. It would be a fitting tribute to attend the final concert directed by this fine man. This corner feels Robert Genualdi is a true "gentleman" in every sense of the word.
Share your memories of Mr. Genualdi in the "comments" link below.
Paul
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Visit the AWHS Class of 1976 Gift Shop.
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