Sol Schoenbach ''(né'' Sol Israel Schoenbach; 1915 – 25 February 1999) was an American bassoonist and teacher.

Career

Schoenbach was a student of the distinguished bassoonist

Simon Kovar Simon Kovar (May 15, 1890 – January 17, 1970) was a 20th-century bassoonist and one of the most renowned teachers of the instrument. Simon Kovar was born Simon Kovarski in Vilnius, Russian Empire, in 1890. He took up the bassoon at age 20 aft ...

. He studied at the

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, ...

, and held honorary doctorates from

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptists, Baptist minister Russell Conwell an ...

and the

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. ...

. Schoenbach held the position of staff bassoonist for the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

orchestra from 1932 until 1937. In 1937, he became principal bassoonist 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 ...

, a position he held until 1957 when

Bernard Garfield Bernard Garfield ''(né'' Bernard Howard Garfield; born May 27, 1924) is an American bassoonist, composer, teacher, and recording artist. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he is best known for his long tenure as the principal bassoonist of the Philade ...

took over. During this time, he was also a member of the Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet. In 1957, after retiring from the

, until 1981, Schoenbach was the executive director for the

Settlement Music School Settlement Music School is a community music school with branches in and around Philadelphia. Founded in 1908 by two young women, Jeannette Selig Frank and Blanche Wolf Kohn, it is the largest community school of the arts in the United States. It ...

. He was also the president of the

International Double Reed Society The International Double Reed Society (IDRS), is an organization that promotes the interests of double reed players, instrument manufacturers and enthusiasts. Services provided by the IDRS include an international oboe and bassoon competition, ...

from 1981 until 1984. Schools at which he taught include the

, the

Berkshire Music Center The Tanglewood Music Center is an annual summer music academy in Lenox, Massachusetts, United States, in which emerging professional musicians participate in performances, master classes and workshops. The center operates as a part of the Tanglewo ...

and the

New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on ...

. Schoenbach has received many awards throughout the years, including the Philadelphia Award (1975), the Founders award from the Philadelphia Music Alliance (1994), the Samuel Rosenbaum Award from the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, the

’s Hartman Kuhn Award, and the Philadelphia Young Audiences Award for Outstanding Service in Arts Education to Youth presented by the American Foundation for the Science of Creative Intelligence. Mr. Schoenbach’s solo bassoon playing was featured in the 1957 film noir “The Burglar”, starring Dan Duryea and Jayne Mansfield, with music by composer Sol Kaplan.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schoenbach, Sol 1915 births 1999 deaths American classical bassoonists Place of birth missing 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century American musicians Musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra