‘America’s leading oboist’ has died
RIPThe death has been shared of Humbert ‘Bert’ Lucarelli,acknowledged as ‘America’s leading oboe recitalist’ and one of its most successful teachers. Bert was 87.
Chicago born, he played principal oboe at the Lyric Opera, the Florida Symphony and the Grant Park Symphony, also playing with the leading maestros of his time.
From 1968 he was Professor of Oboe at the Hartt School of Music in West Hartford, Connecticut.
Bert played 2nd oboe @ Lyric in ’58, the year I played with him. I was surprised to find him here in NY when I came in ’60.
If memory serves, he was also active in the NY City free-lance music scene.
I had the pleasure of studying chamber music with Bert at The Hartt School in the mid eighties. He was a wonderful teacher, mentor, and friend.
I have an oboe student now who’s first teacher was Bert Lucarelli. He would go to Manhattan to study at his apartment in 1966.