John Iuele was a native of Italy, and was born in 1916. He began his musical training on the trumpet at the age of 8 in his school band.
When he was 12, he immigrated with his family to the United States and settled in Niagara Falls, NY. He graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in instrumental music.
He continued his study of music and conducting, and met and worked with Leonard Bernstein. He attended the Julliard School of Music and worked under Thor Johnson. He was encouraged to pursue conducting, and he worked several seasons with the New York City Symphony, the New York City Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera, to name a few.
He moved to Atlanta to play first trumpet with the Atlanta Symphony, and later became assistant conductor. In 1952 he became the full-time conductor for the Winston-Salem Symphony, and moved to Winston-Salem in 1955. He stayed in this position until 1978, when he left to become the musical director and conductor for the Palm Beach Symphony.
During his years in Winston-Salem, he started the Music at Sunset summer series, and began a series of in-school concerts for school-aged children. He also is credited for bringing the symphony from a modest community orchestra to a highly professional one.
Iuele returned to Winston-Salem in the 1990s, and he passed away in 2008.
Photo courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.
