New York Philharmonic

Judith LeClair,

Principal
The Pels Family Chair

Judith LeClair,
Judith LeClair joined the Philharmonic as Principal Bassoon (The Pels Family Chair) in 1981, at the age of 23, and has since made more than 50 solo appearances with the Orchestra. Previously she was principal bassoon with the San Diego Symphony and San Diego Opera. She has participated in the Music from Angel Fire, Bridgehampton, Bay Chamber, and Aspen music festivals, and she performs as a member of the Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet of New York. Ms. LeClair has given solo recitals and master classes at the Eastman School of Music, Oberlin College, University of Colorado at Boulder, and Northwestern, Michigan, and Ohio universities. Every August she gives a solo recital and weeklong master class at the Hidden Valley Music Seminar in Carmel Valley, California. In April 1995 she premiered The Five Sacred Trees, a concerto written for her by John Williams and commissioned by the Philharmonic as part of its 150th Anniversary celebration. Her recording of the piece with the London Symphony Orchestra and her solo New York Legends CD for Cala Records were released in 1997. Ms LeClair is on the faculty of The Juilliard School.

Photo of Judith LeClair,: Chris Lee

Q&A with Judith LeClair: December 2002

Judith LeClair

Judith LeClair, Principal Bassoon

THE FACTS: Born in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Educated at the Eastman School of Music. Prior to the Philharmonic: Principal Bassoon of the San Diego Symphony and San Diego Opera Orchestra. At the Philharmonic: Joined in 1981. Made solo debut with the Orchestra in 1982 in Vivaldi’s Concerto for Bassoon and Strings, conducted by Rafael Kubelik. Most recent recording: John Williams’s The Five Sacred Trees, a concerto written for her and commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for its 150th anniversary. Currently teaches at The Juilliard School.

BEGAN INSTRUMENT AT AGE: I started piano lessons at age eight, then cello at 10. I was terrible on the cello and I switched to bassoon the next year. I began studying with a teacher at Ohio University at 12.

FIRST PIECES OF MUSIC YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH: Dvořák’s Serenade for Winds and the Brahms Piano Quintet

WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO BE A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN? When I was 14. My family moved to Delaware and I began studying bassoon and playing chamber music at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia. I knew then that I wanted a career in music.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS WITH THE ORCHESTRA? There are many. Playing the Brahms A-major Serenade with Bernstein; the Verdi Requiem with Muti; and all the wonderful small chamber works with Leinsdorf. I also loved the concert performances of Sweeney Todd.

MOST INSPIRING COMPOSERS: Mozart and Stravinsky. They both wrote brilliantly for winds.

DO YOU PERFORM IN OTHER GROUPS? I play lots of chamber music in various places, and am a member of a terrific new woodwind quintet made up of my colleagues here in the Orchestra.

WHAT’S IN YOUR CD PLAYER RIGHT NOW? My woodwind quintet’s demo for our new recording

ARE THERE OTHER MUSICIANS IN YOUR FAMILY? My husband, Jonathan Feldman, is a pianist and head of the Collaborative Piano Department at Juilliard. My son, Gabriel, is studying piano.

Updated August 2006

Solo and Chamber Performances

Sunday, October 10, 2010
3:00PM 		Philharmonic Ensembles
New York Philharmonic Kidzone
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