Alfonso D'Artega

Who was Alfonso D'Artega?

Alfonso D'Artega, often known simply as D'Artega, was a songwriter, conductor, arranger and actor. His song "In the Blue of the Evening", co-written with Tom Adair, was a number one hit for the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in 1943.

D'Artega was born in Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico. His family emigrated to the U.S. in 1918. D'Artega studied music and composition at Strassberger's Conservatory in St. Louis, Missouri with Boris Levenson, who was a pupil of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. He became a well-known conductor on stage and on air, and in 1946 initiated the Carnegie Hall "Pops" concerts with members of the New York Philharmonic. In 1947 he played the role of Tchaikovsky in the film Carnegie Hall, conducting the film score as well. He was guest conductor with, among others, the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra, the Miami Symphony Orchestra, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and the NBC Symphony of the Air.

D'Artega wrote over 50 songs. Perhaps his most widely recognized composition in the U.S. is "The NBC Chimes Theme".

One of D'Artega's earlier ventures was D'Artega's All-Girl Orchestra, a twenty piece show band.