TubeNet

Hi All,

I'm doing a little project on tuba players in orchestras, and I wanted to see if anyone on the TubeNet has info I'm looking for. I am trying to discover who formerly played tuba with several orchestras, listed below:

Atlanta Symphony immediately preceding EW Moore
Baltimore Symphony immediately preceding David Fedderly
Cleveland Orchestra immediately preceding Chester Roberts
Los Angeles Philharmonic immediately preceding Roger Bobo
Minnesota Orchestra immediately preceding Toby Hanks
National Symphony between Abe Torchinsky and David Bragunier
Pittsburgh Symphony immediately preceding Sumner Erickson
San Francisco Symphony immediately preceding Ron Bishop

I've checked the Tuba Source Book, ITEA's oral histories, and looked through the TubeNet archives, and I am still looking to fill in these gaps. If you have specific dates that would be fantastic. Any help you can give would be great. Thanks!

Chris Bettler

I believe Ross Tolbert played principal tuba in Minnesota for many years prior to Toby Hanks.

Here's some old research I just updated. I think you can easily find more on the web.

SAN FRANCISCO

Charles Goerlich (also sometimes "Carl"), 1911-1913,
Johnston Crozier, 1913-1916 but seems not to have finished the 1915-1916 season.
Ralph Earl Murray played from 1937-1963.
Ron Bishop 1963-67
Chester Roberts was Principal tuba 1967-1969 also Pittsburgh Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra
Floyd Cooley, 1969-2002
Jeff Anderson, 2002-present

CLEVELAND

Edward Burant, 1918-1920
Louis Chassagne, Principal tuba and bass, 1920-1921
Mathias Cesky, 1921-1922
Herman Meyer, 1921-1928
Alfred Murphy 1918-1919 and 1928-1934
Adolf Moser, 1928-1950
Chester Roberts, 1950-1967
Ron Bishop, 1967-2005
Yasuhito Sugiyama, 2006-present

I definitely can help you with one orchestra and possibly help with another.

In the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, directly before David Feddery was my first tuba teacher, W. Daniel Brown. Prior to Dan was Louis Pirko.

My information on the National Symphony is hearsay, so, take it as that. I heard that Louis Pirko had also played for the National as well as William Lewin. But, I cannot say for sure.

Alex C wrote:I believe Ross Tolbert played principal tuba in Minnesota for many years prior to Toby Hanks.

Isn't Steve Campbell the tuba player in Minnesota now?

http://trombone.ueuo.com/sections.htm#NEWYORK

Alex C wrote:I believe Ross Tolbert played principal tuba in Minnesota for many years prior to Toby Hanks.

Strike that, reverse it. I believe Toby Hanks played in Minnesota for a few years before Ross Tolbert. Mr. Tolbert was principal for many years, right before Steve Campbell.

graybach wrote:
Isn't Steve Campbell the tuba player in Minnesota now?

Yes.

tooba wrote:
Strike that, reverse it. I believe Toby Hanks played in Minnesota for a few years before Ross Tolbert. Mr. Tolbert was principal for many years, right before Steve Campbell.

Note to self: Make no posts until completely awake. Just to be clear, I believe Ross Tolbert played principal tuba in Minnesota for many years after Toby Hanks.

cbettler wrote:Los Angeles Philharmonic immediately preceding Roger Bobo

19??-1963: Herbert Jenkel was Rogers immediate predecessor (Tubby the Tuba was written for Mr. Jenkel!)

I got the names of the first two tuba players of the LA Phil from a commemorative book on the first ten years of the orchestra, published in 1929:
1920-193? Paul Mattersteig
1919-1920 G. Berardinelli (Bass and Tuba)

Norm Pearson

Wow, thanks so much for all this great information! The info I got from the Source Book does indeed list Toby Hanks in the MO from 1964 to 1967, with Ross Tolbert following. I had never heard who had originally commissioned Tubby. That's really good to know!

Chris Bettler

I hope all are well!

Harold "Mac" McDonald was my predecessor in Pittsburgh. He was there for 28 seasons.

Unfortunately I don't know the history before Mac.

You probably know that Arnold Jacobs played a few seasons in Pittsburgh before he went to Chicago.

Hope this helps!

ALL blessings and PeaceLoveJoy!

Sumner

I was a Minnesota boy and had lessons with Ross Tolbert. He was long established when I met him in 1978. Mr. Hanks' name I heard in school, but not in association with the Minnesota Orchestra. I googled him and found this on the Crystal records website:

Toby Hanks was tubaist with the New York Brass Quintet for nearly 40 years. He was tubaist with the New York City Ballet Orchestra, the American Composers Orchestra. Before that, he played with the San Antonio, Puerto Rico, and Minneapolis Symphonies. He was a long-time teacher at the Manhattan School of Music, Yale University, and the New England Conservatory.

If I'm not mistaken, Chester Schmitz was in Minnesota before he went to Boston. I'm not sure if Toby directly followed him.

If I'm not mistaken, Chester Schmitz was in Minnesota before he went to Boston. I'm not sure if Toby directly followed him.

If I'm not mistaken, Chester Schmitz was in Minnesota before he went to Boston. I'm not sure if Toby directly followed him.

swillafew wrote:Toby Hanks was tubaist with the New York Brass Quintet for nearly 40 years.

Toby was in the NYBQ for 17 years, the last few of which the quintet didn't play a note.

Chester Schmitz was in the DC Army Band before Boston, along with Dan Perantoni and Jim Self. They all played Alexanders. Before that I think he was in college in Iowa. Ed

Sorry this took so long. I lurk but hardly post and couldn't get my password right:)

Actually Paul Walton was the tuba player in the then Minneapolis Symphony ( now Minnesota Orchestra). Paul was from Peoria, Ill and moved to Chicago to study with Mr. Jacobs. He was hired by Dorati and played for I think 13 years. They used to fly a fair amount back then and Paul had inner ear problems. When he left the orchestra he became a very fine repairman and had a shop at Groth Music in Minneapolis for many years. Later he and Eric Pederson had a shop in another area of Minneapolis and then Paul ended up running a shop out of the walkout part of his basement that was perfect for a small shop. Super fellow and player sounding almost exactly like Mr. Jacobs. So Toby followed Paul for only a couple of years, followed by a long tenure of Ross Tobert and of course Steve Campbell today. Hope this helps David Fedderly

Good to see you on here, Dave!

Tubby the Tuba was played by Herbert Jenkel...my ..godfather..I was born in 1945..the daughter of his good friend Paul Zikoll.who played the bass..I know he played with the LAPhilharmonic when he and his wife Margaret lived in Tujuna CA ..I lost contact with their daughter Satoko who was adopted. Herbie also was at the NBC Orchestra with my Dad under Toscanini

EdFirth wrote:Chester Schmitz was in the DC Army Band before Boston, along with Dan Perantoni and Jim Self. They all played Alexanders. Before that I think he was in college in Iowa. Ed

You are correct Ed.

I played in bands with Chester at U. of Iowa.