A Mass will be celebrated on June 27 for Frederic Balazs, the 98-year-old former Tucson Symphony Orchestra music director who died June 2.
Balazs, an Army veteran of World War II, also will be celebrated with full military honors when he is interred in the Marana Veterans Cemetery on June 28. That service is private.
The Hungarian-born Balazs led the TSO from 1952 to 1966, transforming the group from a mostly volunteer ensemble into a fully professional orchestra of regional stature. During his tenure, Balazs, a violinist who landed the prestigious concertmaster post with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra at the age of 17, also brought renowned artists of the day to Tucson including big-band leader Benny Goodman and African-American opera singer Marian Anderson.
Services for Frederic Balazs will include full military honors.
The June 27 Mass, to be celebrated by the Rev. Pat Crino, will begin at 4:30 p.m. at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 1946 E. Lee St., off North Campbell Avenue. The family has asked that donations be made to the TSO Music in the Schools Program or the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus.
