Traditionally a very fine orchestra particularly in the wind sections, the Detroit Symphony has had an interesting history and has been led by some noted conductors through the years. It is very shameful that because recordings of classical music never "make a profit" for the record companies (and only partly because union wage scales in the U.S.A. are substantially higher than those in Europe) - they are now for all practical purposes dispensed with save for the cream of America's orchestras (such as Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and a few others).
The Detroit Symphony made some memorable recordings some years ago when the orchestra was under the direction of the French conductor, Paul Paray. In recent years the orchestra has been led by Sixten Ehrling, and beginning this year the new and popular conductor is Aldo Ceccato.
After more than 20 years as solo bassoonist of this orchestra, Charles Sirard is planning an early retirement at the end of this summer's season, September 1. It has been my pleasure to hear the Detroit Symphony on many occasions, being a native of Detroit and having grown up in the 30 miles surrounding. Charles Sirard's style of playing has always been smooth and sweet, a leading artistic voice in the woodwind section. We are happy to have listened to him through the years and wish him the greatest happiness in the years ahead.
Charles Sirard was born and raised in San Francisco, California. He played his first bassoon job away from home at the age of 12! Mr. Sirard's musical training was accomplished in New York with Simon Kovar at the Juilliard School of Music.
Before joining the Detroit Symphony as principal bassoon in 1947, he had already been first bassoon in the Pittsburgh Orchestra when Fritz Reiner was its conductor, and he had played with the Columbia Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra in New York. He returned to New York as an active free lance player during the two-year period when the Detroit Symphony quite dramatically collapsed when the financial support of its largest individual contributor was withdrawn. (The careful manner in which this orchestra was nurtured back to life on a much more secure footing served as a lesson to many other U.S. orchestras faced with similar financial problems.)
For many years Charles Sirard followed a hobby to become a very successful duplicate bridge player in the Detroit area. After retirement he plans to do some continued teaching and (excellent quality) reed-making.
Phillip Austin, Second Bassoon. A native of Detroit, Phillip joined the DSO in 1972. His teachers included Charles Sirard and Lyell Lindsey in Detroit, William Kaplan and Elias Carmen. He received part of his orchestral apprenticeship as a member of the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra, played 3 summers with the Meadowbrook Orchestra (summer home of the DSO) and performed with the Virginia Symphony and the Boris Goldovsky Opera Orchestra. Phillip is a graduate of Wayne State University in Detroit and is a member of the Phi Mu Alpha musicians' fraternity. His hobbies include fishing camping, painting, sports, and private teaching. He hopes to travel to Europe in the future.
Paul Ganson, Assistant Principal. Paul was born September 18, 1941, in Detroit. He attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor not as a music student, receiving the degree Bachelor of Arts. He did learn the bassoon well, though studying at various times with Charles Sirard, Robert Pfeuffer, Lewis Hugh Cooper, Bernard Garfield and Thom de Klerk of Amsterdam. While doing academic research in English and Greek at Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Mr. Ganson decided to pursue a career as a bassoonist. In Northern Ireland he played second bassoon with the City of Belfast Orchestra, principal bassoon with the Northern Ireland Grand Opera Association and occasionally with the B.B.C. Northern Ireland Orchestra. During this period he recorded the Mozart Concerto, KV. 191, for broadcast performance and was a finalist in the Mozart Competition sponsored by the Haydn-Mozart Society of London.
After returning to the U.S., Paul played in the Toledo and Dallas Symphonies before joining the Detroit Symphony in 1969. In addition to musical work in the orchestra, Paul was Administrator of the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra during its first two years of existence. And he has been an able worker in the fight to preserve the old Orchestra Hall, prior home of the orchestra and a concert hall of unusually fine acoustical properties. He has been made an honorary member of the Detroit Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. He and his wife, Astrid, live in Dearborn, Michigan, with their 3 children, Ian, Edward and Sebastian.
Lyell Lindsey, Contrabassoon. Another native Detroit bassoonist, Lyell was born in Ferndale, Michigan, and first studied bassoon with Charles Sirard. In New York, Mr. Lindsey was a student of Elias Carmen and Simon Kovar (bassoon) and Roberto Sensale (contra-bassoon). He joined the Detroit Orchestra in 1962 after having been contrabassoonist in the New Orleans Philharmonic (under Hillsberg) and the Cincinnati Orchestra (Max Rudolf). Lyell Lindsey has made considerable modifications to the mechanism of contrabassoons, Mollenhauer of Kassel, Germany, now producing a model with these changes. He enjoys private teaching at Wayne University, and elsewhere, is active in chamber music and other orchestral concerts, and enjoys photography as a hobby.
Robert S. Williams. To be the new Principal Bassoon Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Robert Williams, age 24, is a native of Tucson, Arizona. He received his education at the University of Arizona, Bachelor of Music (Honors) and at the University of Southern California. He studied bassoon with Wendal Jones in Arizona, Leonard Sharrow at the Aspen, Colorado, Music School, and with Norman Herzberg at the Music Academy of the West and University of Southern California.
At the University of Arizona, Robert became principal bassoonist of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra in his sophomore year and was made a member of the university's faculty woodwind quintet. He performed Mozart's Concerto KV. 191 and Vivaldi's A Minor Concerto with the University of Arizona Orchestra. And during his tenure at U.S.C. he performed (with Ken Wagner, I believe. Ed.) Henk Badings' Concerto for Bassoon and Contrabassoon.
For the past two seasons Mr. Williams has been principal bassoonist of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (Canada) where he performed solos with that orchestra and with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. Robert's wife, Kim, is also a bassoonist.