I JUST read this:
Thomas Stacy has retired from the New York Philharmonic as its English horn player, having departed just weeks into the season. Mr. Stacy, who was with the orchestra for 38 years, appeared with it as a soloist more than 70 times and made numerous recordings and a name for himself as a leading proponent of the instrument.
Most orchestra players retire at the end of the season. Mr. Stacy, 72, and a native of Arkansas, said the timing was “a mutual thing.” “I’m very happy about this,” he said. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I had an amazingly happy time at the Philharmonic musically and personally, plus the bonus of seeing a huge part of the world on tour.” Mr. Stacy’s departure comes as the Philharmonic appears likely to hire Ricardo Morales, the Philadelphia Orchestra’s principal clarinetist, to replace its longtime first clarinet player, Stanley Drucker.
72 years old, wow! I don’t think I’ll be the one to fill his shoes….
Wow. One of the few professional bigwigs I actually worked with – the Stacy Seminar really turned my life around! What a career.
I had NO idea he was 72, Jillian … did you? I figured mid-60s.
I never met the man, Jill. Heard him a few times, though!
I worked with Tom at his seminar in 2008 and this past year in 2010. He is a truly wonderful person and musician. 3 weeks prior this this year’s seminar he had surgery to install a defibrillator and with 1 week of practice he prepared a full recital. That blew my mind. I never was able to make it to the Phil and hear him in an orchestra but his sound up close and live in recital will be in my mind forever!
Thanks for sharing this, Bryan! I wish I’d heard him with the NYP live and in person. I did hear him via the TV, but that’s never quite the same! I wonder if he’ll stop doing the Hidden Valley Seminars as well. I’m guessing so. I should have gotten to one … shame on me.