Verdi's Requiem - a recording from 1965

Maestro John Shenaut was the founding Music Director of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, conducting the first concert at Byrd High School Auditorium on November 9, 1948. He led the orchestra for an astonishing 33 years, building it from scratch into a well respected ensemble, with the help of many community partners and supporters. In addition to his skills on the podium, he displayed an uncanny knack for identifying and presenting talented young artists who would go on to major careers, including both Van Cliburn and Eugene Fodor before they won the Tchaikovsky Competition and then went on to achieve international stardom. He was a strong proponent of the educational mission of the orchestra and helped to develop the diversity of musical offerings by the orchestra that can still be seen today. He was Co-Chair of the Nena Wideman Piano competition and a talented violinist in his own right