ESTONIAN SYMPHONIC MUSIC. THE FIRST CENTURY 1896-1996.
After the war, Roots performed in
Germany again (Munich, Hamburg), in Switzerland (Zurich) and in London. In 1952,
the Colombian government invited him to organise and conduct the State Symphony
Orchestra, besides this principal engagement he was also active as the conductor of the
Bach Choir and a lecturer on conducting and orchestration at the Bogotá National
Conservatoire. Several famous pianists worked and performed with the orchestra:
Arthur Rubinstein, Claudio Arrau, Paul Badura-Skoda.
His 21 years in Bogotá were called “the epoch of Olav Roots” in the Colombian
music circles. The appreciation from the state officials was most clearly expressed by
the nomination of honorary citizenship of Colombia by the President in 1967, with the
conferment of a special medal.
Authoritative musicologist Francisco Alexandre noted:
Conductor Olav Roots is a perfect musician, competent in all spheres of his art with artistic
erudition
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