Oscar G. Zimmerman

Infobox musical artist


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Name = Oscar G. Zimmerman
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Born = birth date |1910|9|21
flagicon|USA Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Death = death date |1987|4|2
Instrument = Double-bass
Genre = Classical
Occupation = Double-bassist
Years_active = "ca." 1929-1987
Notable_instruments = Double-bass

Oscar G. Zimmerman was born September 21, 1910 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died April 2, 1987 in Traverse City, Michigan.

Degrees and studies

B.M., Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia;

Biography

Oscar Zimmerman (1910-1987), double bassist with the Rochester Philharmonic for 36 years and professor emeritus at Eastman, was a member of the first graduating class of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Hired by the Philadelphia Orchestra as a 19-year-old student, he played with the orchestra for six years until joining the St. Louis Symphony as principal bass player in 1936. He played with the NBC Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini from 1938-45 before moving to Rochester. As a teacher of bass, Mr. Zimmerman was unparalleled. He not only taught at the Eastman School, but also spent 44 successive summers teaching at the Interlochen National Music Camp in Michigan. His former students have filled positions (many of them as principal players) in the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Dallas, and Ottawa.cite news | url=http://www.esm.rochester.edu/places/portraits/zimmerman.php | title= Oscar Zimmerman| publisher=Eastman School of Music| author=University of Rochester| accessdate=2007-10-31]

Instruments

His favorite instrument was a Gagliano he bought while still at Curtis from Torello. He called it the Black Gagliano because he had two, a yellow and black. For the last ten years of his life he had two basses, a Francesco Rugieri and a Hugo Rautmann. He heard Waldimar Geise play the Scontrino Concerto, on the Rautmann with Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra while a student a Curtis. He was so impressed with the projection that he bought the bass at Geise' death (1948) and used it for all his solo work. cite news | url=http://www.billbentgen.com/bass/players/oscar_zimmerman.htm | title= Oscar Zimmerman | publisher=Bill Betgen | author=Robert Zimmerman | accessdate=2007-10-31]

References

External links

* [http://www.esm.rochester.edu/places/portraits/zimmerman.phpCominsky Portrait Gallery]
* [http://www.billbentgen.com/bass/players/oscar_zimmerman.htm Bill Bentgen's Website]