Donald Baker

Below is an email received from Don Baker in late May of 2019 after Chick Lehrer asked him if he had any of Tabuteau’s reeds in his possession that could be photographed for this website.

Hi Chick, 

I once had a collection of interesting reeds including one from Harold Gomberg, two from Ralph, one from Harry Shulman, and two from Tabuteau. The horror story is they were in a closed reed case on my desk and my roommate’s long-haired dachshund decided the whole thing was eminently chewable. Completely destroyed! But I do remember very clearly what they looked like. The Tabuteau reeds were pretty much identical to reed #2 in the Weber pictures. The fascinating thing about them was how well they responded and how the scale was so well in tune considering how hacked up they appeared. Up to that point in my studies, they were much better than anything I had played before—a real revelation. I somehow managed to refrain from strangling the dog. Wish I could help, but sorry.  Don

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What's New!

An audio interview with Joan Browne (Champie), a private Tabuteau student in the early 1950s.

A photograph of the music stand that was in Tabuteau’s private studio in Philadelphia.

An autographed photo of Marcel Tabuteau inscribed to Vladimir Sokoloff.

An autographed photo of Marcel Tabuteau inscribed to Joan Browne Champie.

With the passing of Wilbur Isaac Hilles in August 2023 and now Martha Scherer-Alfee in February 2024, no oboe students of Marcel Tabuteau at the Curtis Institute are still living.

A letter sent to the Curtis Institute by Laila Storch’s mother about Tabuteau not teaching at Curtis—and the reply.