A weekly program focusing on the arts and entertainment

The year was 1988 and the Riverside County Philharmonic, then known as the Riverside Symphony, was facing a major decision. Conductor Lawrence Christianson had left to accept a position in West Virginia and a replacement had to be found.

A series of auditions were set and Patrick Flynn was selected. Arts and Entertainment Editor Bob Sokolsky calls that a near perfect choice.

Flynn’s energy and enthusiasm became contagious and, Sokolsky, says they set a good orchestra on the path to becoming a very good orchestra.

Flynn, who died last week of a reported pulmonary embolism, charted a determined course that angered some. He was also the target of some vivid stories that so blended fact and fiction it was impossible to separate them.

However, Sokolsky says, there was no question about the results he produced, results that made him the key figure on the area’s cultural scene.