The New York Philharmonic was founded in 1842 by Ureli Corelli Hill. It is the oldest musical organization in the United States and the third oldest orchestra in the world. Its present musical director is Pierre Boulez; his predecessors include: Arturo Toscanini, John Barbirolli, Artur Rodzinski, Bruno Walter, Dimitri Mitropoulos, and Leonard Bernstein.
The Philharmonic's present oboe section consists of these four artists:
HAROLD GOMBERG
Solo Oboe
Harold Gomberg joined the New York Philharmonic as solo oboist in 1943. Prior to coming to the Philharmonic, he had been solo oboist with Washington's National Symphony, a post he assumed at the age of 17, and was also principal oboe with the Toronto and Saint Louis Symphonies. He has been a member of the faculty at Juilliard since 1948.
Mr. Gomberg has made solo recordings which include Hindemith's Sonata for Oboe and Piano, with Dimitri Mitropoulos as pianist, and "The Baroque Oboe," an album conducted by Seiji Ozawa. His most recent recording is "The Art of Harold Gomberg" which includes Metamorphoses for Oboe Alone by Benjamin Britten.
Well known also as a painter, Mr. Gomberg has had one man shows in New York City, Lenox, Massachusetts; Kansas City, Missouri; and in Europe. Two of his paintings appear on covers of his records.
Born in Malden, Massachusetts, Mr. Gomberg started studying the oboe with Marcel Tabuteau at the Curtis Institute when he was 11 years old and Tabuteau's youngest pupil.
ALBERT GOLTZER
Albert Goltzer, associate solo oboe player in the New York Philharmonic, joined the Orchestra in 1955. Prior to coming to the Philharmonic, he had been solo oboist with the St. Louis Symphony and the C.B.S. Symphony, and had also played with the WOR Symphony.
A native of Brooklyn, Mr. Goltzer studied with Engelbert Brenner, Bruno Labate, and M. Nazzi. He attended the Institute of Musical Art and won the Gabrilowitch Memorial Scholarship of the National Orchestral Association.
JEROME ROTH
Jerome Roth, second oboist with the New York Philharmonic, joined the Orchestra in 1961. Previously he had been principal oboist with the Adolph Busch Chamber Orchestra, the Mozart Orchestra, and the Little Orchestra Society.
From 1951-1961, Mr. Roth was the oboist with the New York Woodwind Quintet, an ensemble that during those years also included flutist Samuel Baron; clarinetist David Glazer; French horn player John Barrows; and bassoonists Bernard Garfield (1951-1956) and Arthur Weisberg. Mr. Roth is presently a member of the New York Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet.
Mr. Roth was born in New York City and attended City College of New York, the Henry Street Settlement Music School, and the Juilliard School. In addition to his oboe studies, he also studied composition with Roy Harris, and has made numerous transcriptions of string quartets, and Bach organ works for woodwind quintet.
THOMAS STACY
Solo English Horn Player
Thomas Stacy, the New York Philharmonic's solo English horn player, joined the Orchestra in 1972 and made his solo debut with the Philharmonic the same season. He performed Stanislaw Skrowaczewski's Concerto for English Horn and Orchestra which was written for and dedicated to him by the music director of the Minnesota Orchestra where Mr. Stacy previously held the position of solo English horn player. Mr. Stacy has given the world and New York premieres of this work and his recording of it received preliminary nominations for Grammy Awards in two categories.
In March, 1973, Mr. Stacy recorded The Swan of Tuonela with the Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein in the first quadraphonic recording of Sibelius's tone poem featuring solo English horn. Solos for the English Horn Player, a book edited by Mr. Stacy, will be published by G. Schirmer.
A native of Augusta, Arkansas, Mr. Stacy graduated with distinction from the Eastman School of Music in 1960. Prior to coming to the Philharmonic, while playing with the Minnesota Orchestra, he taught oboe at the University of Minnesota and Macalester College.