Robert Willoughby, Legendary Flute Professor and Performer, Dies at 96</h1> <article> <h1>Robert Willoughby, Legendary Flute Professor and Performer, Dies at 96</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 18:33:36 +0000</p> <span>Robert Willoughby, Legendary Flute Professor and Performer, Dies at 96</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2018-04-24T14:33:36-04:00" title="Tuesday, April 24, 2018 - 14:33">Tue, 04/24/2018 - 14:33</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Robert Willoughby was an esteemed professor of flute at 91ֱ�� for 37 years, a tenure during which he developed the craft of countless future performers and teachers while maintaining a vibrant playing career of his own. He died March 27, 2018, one year after friends and family had established an endowed scholarship in his honor at 91ֱ��.</p> <p>Born in Grundy Center, Iowa, Willoughby took up flute in the fifth grade but planned for years to follow his father into a career in law; with his father’s encouragement, he ultimately accepted a full scholarship to the Eastman School of Music instead. He earned his degree in 1942 and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, training as a B-24 bomber pilot. From his station in southern Great Britain, he flew the first of three dozen career missions on his 23<sup>rd</sup> birthday: a run over the English Channel to Normandy on June 6, 1944—D-Day. (Once asked why he didn’t simply join a military band, Willoughby replied: “I thought every joy I had for music would disappear if I went into a military band!” according to a 2010 interview with <em>Flute: The Journal of the British Flute Society</em>.)</p> <p>Willoughby returned to music after the war, taking up graduate studies in flute with Georges Laurent at the New England Conservatory. “Laurent made me work my tail off,” he told <em>Flute</em>. “I practiced four or five hours a day and made as much progress in one year as I had in four years at Eastman.”</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>(courtesy 91ֱ�� College Archives)</figcaption> </figure> <p>After a year at NEC, Willoughby became assistant principal flute of The Cleveland Orchestra under famed conductor George Szell. He remained with the orchestra for nine years, six of which he also spent teaching part time at 91ֱ��. (His master’s degree from NEC was conferred in 1949, the same year he began at 91ֱ��.) When the demands of working two jobs finally took their toll, Willoughby left northeast Ohio to be principal flute of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. After a year, he was lured back to 91ֱ�� with the offer of a full-time position. In 1957, he married children’s book author Elaine “Mac” Macmann, and they settled in 91ֱ�� for the next three decades.</p> <p>A master of modern flute—<em>Flute</em> magazine went so far as to call him “the American grandmaster"—Willoughby was an avid performer in solo settings and chamber ensembles. In 1970, he took up playing the Baroque flute after studying it in Europe during a sabbatical year, making him among the first major American flutists to cross over into historical performance.</p> <p>Willoughby was a founding member of the 91ֱ�� Woodwind Quintet in 1950 and the 91ֱ�� Baroque Ensemble in 1959, and he was a fixture at 91ֱ��’s annual Baroque Performance Institute since its founding in 1971. He was also a member of the Smithsonian Chamber Players, an ensemble that included his violinist colleague Marilyn McDonald. His many recordings have appeared on the Gasparo, Vox, and Coronet labels, among others.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-left"> <figcaption>(courtesy 91ֱ�� College Archives)</figcaption> </figure> <p>In 1979, Willoughby was named 91ֱ��’s first Robert W. Wheeler Professor—a title that pays tribute, somewhat ironically, to a prominent Cleveland lawyer. (The Wheeler Professorship is currently held by voice professor Salvatore Champagne ’85.) Willoughby was widely published in <em>Flute Talk</em>, <em>The Instrumentalist</em>, and other publications, and he was a charter member of the National Flute Association, which bestowed upon him its Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.</p> <p>Over the course of his career, Willoughby taught more than 200 private students, many of whom went on to enjoy standout careers of their own in top orchestras around the country and at major music schools. Gentle, introspective, and humble, he was beloved by all who knew him.</p> <p>“I fondly remember his easy friendliness,” says Professor of Musicology Steven Plank. “Though professionally he was Olympian, his manner and interactions were warm, easy, and genuine, and I was very grateful for that.”</p> <p>“When one hears Bob Willoughby's students, there’s almost a guarantee that no two will sound the same,” says Wendy Rolfe ’74, a professor of flute at the Berklee College of Music and a driving force behind the establishment of the Robert Willoughby Scholarship Fund. “He always encouraged us to think for ourselves and to make our own informed musical decisions.</p> <p>“Bob seemed to look for potential students who had their own musical voices, and to encourage us to develop as intelligent artists. We all thought he would live forever, and we realize he does—in each one of us who was privileged to study with him and to become part of the musical family he and Mac created.” </p> <p>By 1987, Willoughby and his wife traded 91ֱ�� for a newly built island home off the coast of New Hampshire. He taught for a decade at the Peabody Institute, flying to Baltimore each week, then transitioned to the faculty at the Longy School of Music in Boston, where he continued to teach until his death.</p> <p>Willoughby is survived by a son and three grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife.</p> <p>Learn more about Willoughby and contribute to the Robert Willoughby Scholarship Fund at <a href="https://robertwilloughby.com/scholarship.html" target="_blank">https://robertwilloughby.com/scholarship.html</a>.</p> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Bob and Mac Willoughby returned to 91ֱ�� in October 2011 for a celebration of his 90th birthday. (photo by Jennifer Manna)</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2018-04-24T12:00:00Z">Tue, 04/24/2018 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">By Erich Burnett</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Master of modern and historical flute devoted 37 years to teaching at 91ֱ��, leaving a long list of distinguished former students.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2412">Obituaries</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35911">Flute</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=36656">Baroque Flute</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=28886">Historical Performance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/winds-brass-and-percussion" hreflang="und">Winds, Brass, and Percussion</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/historical-performance" hreflang="und">Historical Performance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy 91ֱ�� College Archives</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>HP WinterFest Celebrates Early Music Through Recitals and Master Classes</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 17:33:01 +0000</p> <span>HP WinterFest Celebrates Early Music Through Recitals and Master Classes</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2018-02-20T12:33:01-05:00" title="Tuesday, February 20, 2018 - 12:33">Tue, 02/20/2018 - 12:33</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A performance by the Flanders Recorder Quartet highlights 91ֱ��’s 2018 Historical Performance WinterFest, a series of public concerts and master classes featuring faculty and guest artists who specialize in early music.</p> <p>The HP WinterFest takes place February 20 through 25 in venues on the 91ֱ�� campus. The schedule is as follows (all events are free):</p> <p></p> <p><strong>Tuesday, February 20</strong></p> <p>Master class: Flanders Recorder Quartet (4:30-6 p.m., Bibbins Hall 325)</p> <p>Recital: Flanders Recorder Quartet (8 p.m., Fairchild Chapel)</p> <p><strong>Wednesday, February 21</strong></p> <p>Recital: Nigel North, lutenist (8 p.m., Kulas Recital Hall)</p> <p><strong>Thursday, February 22</strong></p> <p>Master class: Nigel North, lutenist (3:30-6:30 p.m., Bibbins Hall 232)</p> <p><strong>Saturday, February 24</strong></p> <p>Recital: 91ֱ�� Baroque Ensemble: Cembalo Obbligato (8 p.m., Kulas Recital Hall)</p> <p></p> <p><strong>Sunday, February 25</strong></p> <p>Recital: Mark Edwards, harpsichord (8 p.m., Warner Concert Hall)</p> <p>The Flanders Recorder Quartet is celebrating 30 years of performing together around the globe—some 2,500 concerts in 52 countries. In that time, they have exalted their instrument as few others have and showcased countless extraordinary reproductions of little-known historic recorders. They were recently honored with the American Recorder Society’s 2018 Distinguished Achievement Award. At the conclusion of their 2018 performance season, the ensemble’s members have agreed to disband—making their 91ֱ�� engagement one of the final opportunities for their artistry to be heard live.</p> <p>Flanders’ 91ֱ�� February 20 program will mingle the old and the new as well as a variety of styles:</p> <ul> <li>Praetorius’ <em>Summa Parenti Gloria</em> from <em>Hymnodia Sionia</em> (1611)</li> <li>Pieter Campo’s 2015 works <em>Meditation</em> and<em> Fire</em></li> <li>Schein’s Suite 15 from <em>Banchetto Musicale</em> (1617)</li> <li>Boismortier’s Concerto VI in G from VI Concertos Pour 5 Flûtes, Op. 15 (1727)</li> <li>Sören Sieg’s 2016 composition <em>Inxaxheba</em></li> <li>Bach’s Fantasia in C BWV 570 and Fuga in C BWV 545</li> <li>Jeroen d’Hoe’s 2005 piece <em>Ella’s Blues</em></li> <li>Louis Prima’s <em>Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)</em> (1936)</li> </ul> <p>A preview of works on the program can be heard <a href="http://www.flanders-recorder-quartet.be/JUBILEUM.mp3">here</a>.</p> <p>“They are a spectacular group—by far the best of their kind,” Professor of Recorder and Baroque Flute Michael Lynn says of Flanders. “I want to stress that they aren’t just great recorder players, but superb ensemble musicians on the level of any fine string quartet. And Fairchild Chapel is a perfect place to hear them.”</p> <p>Lutenist Nigel North found his initial inspiration in the ’60 instrumental pop group the Shadows. Self-taught on the lute beginning at age 15, he has come to be regarded as one of the world’s leading teachers and performers on the instrument. North devoted two decades as lute professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, in addition to appointments at other prestigious conservatories. He has taught at Indiana University’s Early Music Institute since 1999. His February 21 performance features lute pieces attributed to J.S. Bach’s and catalogued as BWV 997, 998, 999, and 1000. On the recital’s second half will be a performance of the famous Violin Partita in D Minor (BWV 1004), which has been adapted for the lute.</p> <p>On Saturday, February 24, the 91ֱ�� Baroque Ensemble, featuring 91ֱ��’s HP faculty Mark Edwards (harpsichord), Michael Lynn (Baroque flute), Marilyn McDonald (Baroque violin), and Catharina Meints (viola da gamba and Baroque cello), will perform a program of ensemble music by Boismortier, Richter, Rameau, as well as Bach’s Sonata for Viola da Gamba in D major.</p> <p>The fest will close with a harpsichord performance by Edwards on Sunday, February 25. The concert includes works by Byrd, Sweelinck, Louis Couperin, Scarlatti, and Handel, which will be played on a variety of instruments from 91ֱ��’s extensive collection.</p> <p>Lynn notes that the WinterFest came about in part through a fortunate convergence of events on the 91ֱ�� calendar. He had been seeking an engagement with the Flanders Quartet, whose extensive farewell-tour schedule was filling quickly. He later learned that Professor of Classical Guitar Stephen Aron had booked lutenist North for the same week. Lynn had also been eyeing a date for Edwards to showcase an array of newly acquired harpsichords.</p> <p>“It immediately came to my mind that if possible we should put all this together and have a festival,” he says.</p> <p>Stay up to date on all events at 91ֱ�� at <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/calendar/month?event_types%5B%5D=19263">calendar.oberlin.edu</a>.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2018-02-16T12:00:00Z">Fri, 02/16/2018 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">By Erich Burnett</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>91ֱ�� faculty and esteemed guests to perform February 20-25 in venues on campus.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=36656">Baroque Flute</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33036">Baroque Violin</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33091">Harpsichord</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33041">Baroque Cello</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=36306">Classical Guitar</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/mark-edwards" hreflang="und">Mark Edwards</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/michael-lynn" hreflang="und">Michael Lynn</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/historical-performance" hreflang="und">Historical Performance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>