Paul Laubin, regarded as America’s oboe maker, was found dead by police in his Peekskill, NY, workshop on Monday night.
Paul was 88, He produced about a dozen instruments a year, selling for $10,000 to $14,000.
Customers could wait up to ten years for a new oboe.
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I imagine a life well lived and a blessed death working in his shop. Rest in peace.
I also imagine that a lot of people in Classical Music World are being robbed blind by the Violin Mafia.
Your views are out of place here.
This story is about a beloved Craftsman.
Very touching.
We live a few miles from the Laubin studio, and my teenage son owns one of their student instruments. Stepping into that studio is like walking back through time. Anyone who knew Paul is not surprised that he spent his final moments there.
I’m sure Paul went out just like he’d hoped: doing what he loved.
The owner of a popular music store in Augusta once confided to me he worried he would die in his store and cause a ruckus.
He died alone on his fishing boat. He’d just gotten it back from repair and had taken it for a test run before he went out the next morning with his grandson. Can’t imagine a happier ending for a wonderful person.
Paul was a wonderful person and craftsman, and a virtual photocopy of his father Al (Alfred), who started the business. The Laubin oboe generally produces a rich, dark sound and is made to stay in tune. Stories of Paul’s and his father’s generosity and pride of workmanship are legendary here in the States. In his day, Paul was also a fine oboist and English horn player; he will be missed. An in-depth article about Paul appeared recently in volume 44, number 4, of The Double Reed.