I have been asked by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to post the
following message:
CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO HOST
A TRIBUTE TO ARNOLD JACOBS AT SYMPHONY CENTER
ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17
Life of retired CSO principal tuba and eminent pedagogue Arnold Jacobs to be remembered with special tribute event
The life of the late former CSO Principal Tuba Arnold Jacobs will be celebrated with A Tribute to Arnold Jacobs at Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, on Thursday, December 17 at 5 p.m.
The Symphony Center tribute will feature performances by the CSO Trombone and Tuba Ensemble; the CSO brass section, led by CSO Principal Trumpet Adolph "Bud" Herseth; and the Northwestern University Faculty Brass Quintet. Audience members will also hear an archival recording of Mr. Jacobs performing the slow movement of Vaughan Williams' Tuba Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, accompanied by photographs. The musical celebration will conclude with a joint performance by members of the CSO and Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra; Northwestern University faculty members; and others, led by CSO Music Director Daniel Barenboim.
Following the tribute, a reception will be held in the Symphony Center Rotunda for all audience members. Memory books will be made available at the performance and reception for members of the general public who wish to write a personal message to the Jacobs family.
Admission to A Tribute to Arnold Jacobs and the reception will be free. Tickets are not required. For more information about this event, members of the general public should call (312) 294-3000.
The foundation of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's brass section for more than four decades and a teacher who had impact on generations of brass players, Arnold Jacobs passed away on October 7, 1998 at the age of 83.
A native of Philadelphia, Mr. Jacobs was raised in California. After taking piano lessons from his mother, whom he credited with his love of music, he went on to study the trumpet, bugle, and trombone. At the age of fifteen, he entered the Curtis Institute of Music on scholarship, studying with Philip Donatelli and Fritz Reiner. After graduation in 1937, he played in the Indianapolis Symphony for two seasons, and from 1939 until 1944, he was tubist for the Pittsburgh Symphony under Fritz Reiner.
In 1944, Jacobs joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, where he remained until his retirement in 1988. He appeared as soloist with the Orchestra on numerous occasions. His recordings with the CSO include Vaughan Williams's Tuba Concerto, conducted by Daniel Barenboim. A 1978 performance of the same work, conducted by Henry Mazer, was released in conjunction with Radiothon 12 on From the Archives, Vol. 2. In addition, he was a founding member of the Chicago Symphony Brass Quintet.
Internationally recognized as an educator, Arnold Jacobs taught tuba at Northwestern University for more than twenty years and gave master classes and lectured at clinics all over the world. He was especially known for his ability to motivate and inspire brass players and singers by teaching new breathing techniques. Many leading brass and woodwind players considered him the greatest tubist in the world. A biography, Arnold Jacobs: Song and Wind, by his assistant Brian Frederiksen, was published in 1996 by WindSong Press Limited.
Jacobs's honors included the highest award from the second International Brass Congress (1984) and honorary doctor of music degrees from VanderCook College of Music and DePaul University. He was an active member of the Chicago Symphony Alumni Association and attended several reunions.
Arnold Jacobs recently appeared with members of the Chicago Symphony at the fiftieth anniversary concert for Adolph (Bud) Herseth on June 7, 1998, performing works by Gabrieli with other guest musicians.
A Tribute to Arnold Jacobs is free. Tickets are not required. For more information, please call PhoneCharge at (312) 294-3000.
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I would like to add to this:
The exhibits with photos and Memory Books may be available on Tuesday, December 15.
There will be no recordings of this made. It is the policy of the CSO not to allow cameras and tape recorders to any events in Orchestra Hall. Please be considerate to the CSO policies. There will be a CSO concert following the Tribute. The hall must be cleared quickly.
To all those who personally emailed me for details, my apologies for not giving out information. I had to wait for the official word from the CSO - - it was finally passed to me this afternoon.
Hope to see you there!
Brian
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Brian Frederiksen
WindSong Press - PO Box 146 - Gurnee, Il 60031
Phone 847 223-4586 - Fax 847 223-4580
brianf@wwa.com
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/WindSong_Press