Daniel Bonade (April 4, 1896 – October 30, 1976) was a French classical clarinetist and professor of clarinet. He was the most influential teacher of the first generation of American-born professional clarinetists.

Biography

Daniel Bonade was born in Geneva, Switzerland on April 4, 1896.Daniel Bonade Papers
Special Collections in Performing Arts, University of Maryland, College Park His father, Louis Bonade, was a clarinetist and received the Premier Prix from the

Paris Conservatory The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

in 1870. His mother, Esther Poissenot, was a pianist and a vocalist.Jerry Pierce Papers
Special Collections in Performing Arts, University of Maryland, College Park After his father's death, Daniel Bonade began studying the clarinet at age 8 from Ferdinand Capelle. He then studied with Henri Lefebvre, a student of Cyril Rose. In 1910, while studying with Lefebvre, Bonade entered the Paris Conservatory and in 1913 at the age of 18 won the Premier Prix. After completing his education at the Paris Conservatory, Bonade traveled with the Garde Republicane Band as well as freelanced with Ballet Russes, the Sousa Band and other groups. In 1916, Bonade was offered the principal clarinet position of the

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscripti ...

under the direction of

Leopold Stokowski Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra and his appearan ...

. Bonade was with the Philadelphia Orchestra until 1922 when he took a leave of absence for two years due to salary negotiations. He returned to the Orchestra in 1924 and left in 1930 because he thought the Orchestra was not going to survive the stock market crash. Bonade took a position with the Columbia Broadcasting Orchestra until 1933 when he was appointed the principal clarinet position of the

Cleveland Orchestra The Cleveland Orchestra, based in Cleveland, is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Seve ...

. He remained with the Cleveland Orchestra from 1933 to 1941.Charles P. Schmidt. "Bonade, Daniel." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 6 Aug. 2013. . After his stay in Cleveland, Bonade went on tour with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Bonade's playing career was cut short by a heart attack when he was advised by medical doctors to stop. Bonade would devote his time to teaching clarinet students and playing low-pressure gigs. Bonade and his wife retired to France where he died in Cannes on October 30, 1976.

Teaching

Bonade was considered to be one of the greatest clarinet teachers of his time. Bonade taught at

Curtis Institute of Music The Curtis Institute of Music is a private conservatory in Philadelphia. It offers a performance diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in opera, and a Professional Studies Certificate in opera. All students attend on full scholarship. ...

from 1924 to 1940, the Cleveland Institute of Music from 1933 to 1942, and the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most ...

from 1948 to 1960. Bonade continued teaching privately until his death. Bonade had many successful students. Many of them received principal positions with orchestras or prestigious teaching positions. His students included:
Robert McGinnis
- Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic * Anthony Gigliotti – Philadelphia Orchestra * Robert Marcellus - Cleveland Orchestra * Richard Joiner - Colorado Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, President's Own * Emil Schmachtenberg - Cincinnati Symphony
Mitchell Lurie
- Pittsburgh Symphony, Chicago Symphony
Bernard Portnoy
- Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra *

David Weber David Mark Weber (born October 24, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He has written several science-fiction and fantasy books series, the best known of which is the Honor Harrington science-fiction series. His first nove ...

- New York City Ballet, CBS Symphony Orchestra, Juilliard School of Music
Clark Brody
- Chicago Symphony * Robert Listokin - Radio City Orchestra, Symphony of the Air

Instruments and Equipment

Bonade played on Selmer clarinets through the beginning part of his career until Lefebvre's death when he was given Buffet Clarinets that Lefebvre had inherited from Cyril Rose. Bonade would use these instruments until 1955, when he signed a contract with Leblanc Corporation and promoted their Symphony 3 clarinet line. In 1957, Bonade received
patent for his ligature design
which is still used by many professionals today.

Notes

External links

Daniel Bonade Papers
- Special Collections in Performing Arts at the University of Maryland
The Clarinetist's Compendium
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonade, Daniel 1896 births 1976 deaths Musicians from Geneva French classical clarinetists Swiss emigrants to France 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century French musicians Cleveland Institute of Music faculty Musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra Swiss expatriates in the United States