Curtis Mourns the Passing of Bernard Garfield

The bassoonist Bernard Garfield, a pillar of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s woodwind section during the late 20th century and a bassoon teacher at Curtis for nearly 30 of those years, died on April 29 at his home in Haddonfield, N.J. His passing at age 100 occurred just as Curtis was concluding its own centennial year.

Mr. Garfield was the Philadelphia Orchestra’s principal bassoonist from 1957 to 2000, a stretch that saw its woodwind section rise to the world’s top rank. Alongside John de Lancie (Oboe ’40), Anthony Gigliotti (Clarinet ’47), Murray Panitz, and other prominent members, Mr. Garfield helped define the Philadelphia sound—one that had a darker, richer hue than was common at the time.

Mr. Garfield taught at Curtis from 1975–1980 and again from 1985–2009, during which time he became known as a perceptive, straight-talking teacher who challenged students to cultivate a personal voice rather than simply imitate their teacher’s playing. In 2009, Curtis awarded him an honorary doctorate.

Born on May 27, 1924, Mr. Garfield studied the piano while growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y. Upon entering New York’s High School of Music and Art, he was assigned the bassoon, and quickly formed a reed club with fellow bassoonists, his first foray into what would be a lifelong technical passion. After graduation in 1942, he spent a summer at Tanglewood and studied privately in New York with Simon Kovar, known for bringing Russian conservatory methods to the U.S. (and who taught at Curtis from 1939–42).

Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943, Mr. Garfield played bassoon in the 70th Infantry Division Band during the final months of WWII, later studying at the Royal College of Music and earning degrees from NYU and Columbia. An ambitious freelancer, he co-founded the New York Woodwind Quintet, performed with major ensembles, and was appointed principal bassoonist of the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1957 after meeting with Music Director Eugene Ormandy.

Mr. Garfield’s clean, but rich tone was partly the product of his reed-making methods, which involved trimming the cane to produce varying degrees of edginess or mellowness. Additionally, Ormandy prized bassoonists who could blend with the cellos and fill out the dry acoustics of the Academy of Music. A 1963 Gramophone review of Mr. Garfield’s recording of the Mozart Bassoon Concerto lauded his “alert sense of rhythm and a tone that manages to have a well-ground cutting edge to it without anything that could be called a buzz.”

Also in Philadelphia, Mr. Garfield taught at Temple University (1957–2004) and played in the Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet (the subject of a recent box set on Sony). As a composer he aimed to fill holes in the bassoon repertoire, writing woodwind trios, quartets for bassoon with string trio, and solo works, including his 32 Etudes for Bassoon. After retiring from the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2000, Mr. Garfield was succeeded by a former student, Daniel Matsukawa (’92), who also followed him as a bassoon teacher at Curtis.

“By the time I studied with him, he was in his late 60s,” said Mr. Matsukawa, who was initially drawn to Garfield’s sound. “I was always told before that that he was a demanding, even tough, teacher. I didn’t see that at all. By the time I got to him, he was always very mellow, very kind, and such a gentle soul.

“He put a lot on the students. So, when I asked him, ‘How does one do vibrato in their instrument?’ He would say, ‘What do you mean? Just vibrate.’ I appreciated that because it really made me sit down and become a good problem solver. I think that’s how he himself was.”

“I don’t think he ever took a day off from playing,” said Mr. Matsukawa. “His work ethic was bar none.”

Mr. Garfield is survived by his four sons and six grandchildren. He was predeceased by Betty, his wife of nearly 70 years.

Photo credits: 1.) Portrait of Bernard Garfield; Ryan Collerd. 2.) Bernard Garfield performs with Curtis Symphony Orchestra and Otto-Werner Mueller in 1997; Jean Brubaker. 3.) Former students celebrate Bernard Garfield’s 100th birthday; Ryan Collerd.