James Warren York

Infobox Person
name = James Warren York


image_size =
caption =
birth_date = November 24 1839
birth_place = Exeter, New Hampshire
death_date = death date and age|1927|2|9|1839|11|24
death_place = Los Angeles, California
education =
occupation = Musical instrument builder
spouse =
parents =
children = Charles E. York
Frank W. York

James Warren York, more commonly known as J. W. York, was a musician, a businessman, a business owner, and a musical instrument innovator. The "York tuba sound" is considered by most tubists to be the defining timbre of a quality instrument.

York was born November 24 1839 in Exeter, New Hampshire, and died February 9 1927 in Los Angeles, California.

York, a cornet player in Grand Rapids, Michigan theaters, started an instrument repair company in the latter part of the 19th century. Two partnerships, "Smith and York" in 1883 and "York and Holton" in 1885, were reformed into the "J.W.York and Company" instrument manufacturing company in 1884. In 1887, to celebrate the birth of his son Charles E. York, the business was renamed "York & Son". In 1898, the birth of his other son, Frank W. York, prompted him to rename the business "York & Sons". The business went through other name changes ("J.W. York", "J.W. York and Sons", "J.W. York Band Instrument Co", "J.W. York Instrument Co.") before finally settling on "York Band Instrument Co".

The York Band Instrument Co., led by J.W. York, manufactured a full line of brass instruments including trumpets, cornets, horns, trombones, hélicons, baritones, and tubas. These instruments were known to have superior craftsmanship, ease of enunciation, intonation, and timbre, and were widely sought after, by both concert and brass bands, and by military bands. For instance, the United States Army's Quarter Master Corps and the United States Navy have fine examples of York instruments in their possession. Two York CC tubas, commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra in the 1930s and later sold to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, have become prototypes for as many as 5 modern instruments because of this model's excellent intonation, tone, and timbre. These tubas are the basis for the legendary "York tuba sound".

In 1917, York retired from the musical instrument manufacturing business and moved to California. It was here that, in 1927, he died.

References

* [http://www.iteaonline.org/Journal/31N4/31N4York.shtml International Tuba Euphonium Association; ITEA Journal Volume 31 Number 4 Summer 2004 article]
* [http://www.windsongpress.com/hardware/york/york.htm WindSong Press Limited; Brief History of York]
* [http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/jswain/brass/yorkcont.htm California State University, Los Angeles: J.W. York Company Research Site]

Persondata
NAME=York, JAmes Warren
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=York, J.W.
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Musical instrument maker
DATE OF BIRTH=November 24 1839
PLACE OF BIRTH=Exeter, New Hampshire
DATE OF DEATH=February 9 1927
PLACE OF DEATH=Los Angeles, California