Marcel Tabuteau First-Hand

MT era oboe

Honors

During his lifetime and after, Marcel Tabuteau received several awards and tributes (see below). If you know of other honors bestowed upon Marcel Tabuteau that should be added to this page, please click Submissions.

July 28th, 1904: Premier Prix de Hautbois from the Paris Conservatory

October 15th, 1937: Chevalier de la Légion d’ Honneur from the Government of France

April 19th, 20th, 1940: Twenty-five year Service Award from the Philadelphia Orchestra

1947: Medal of Achievement from the Philadelphia Art Alliance

Medal of Achievement from the Philadelphia Art Alliance
Oval Silver Medallion. Dimensions: 19 cm high by 17.2 cm wide, weighing 570 grams. It is housed in an attractive black case 29.2 x 26.8 cm. Courtesy of Guy Baumier
Award for Art Contribution
Martha Scherer collection (MSS 71): Curtis Institute of Music Archives

May 10th, 1952: Hon. Doctor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music

Mme Tabuteau's pass to commencement
Mme. Tabuteau's admittance pass to the commencement ceremony. Courtesy of Guy Baumier
Eugene Ormandy's directions/edited remarks
Eugene Ormandy's directions/edited remarks for the conferring of the honorary degree. Courtesy of Guy Baumier

The Philadelphia Orchestra members' tribute to Tabuteau presented upon his retirement in 1954

Orchestra members' tribute to Tabuteau
Courtesy of Guy Baumier
Closeup of the above
Note that the members of the oboe section sign at the top below Eugene Ormandy

February 1, 1961
Woodwind World's Hall of Fame

Woodwind World Hall of Fame
Courtesy of The Free Library of Philadelphia

March 8th, 1966: Memorial Tribute
World Premier Performance
Elegy: In Memoriam — Marcel Tabuteau 1887-1966
by Harold Boatrite
Performed by Concerto Soloists Chamber Orchestra
Marc Mostovoy, Conductor

Courtesy of the Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent

March 3rd, 4th, 5th, 1977: Memorial Tribute:
World Premiere Performance of Trail of Beauty
by David Amram
Performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra
Eugene Ormandy, Conductor
Soloists: John de Lancie, Oboe; Rose Taylor, Mezzo-Soprano

Title page of Amram's Trail of Beauty
Title page of the full score: Eugene Ormandy Collection of Scores, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

March 4th, 1979: Memorial Concerts at the Curtis Institute of Music

Awarding of the Marcel Tabuteau Chair of Woodwind Studies
Dedication of the Marcel Tabuteau Room

The Curtis information above was provided courtesy of Kristina Wilson, Archivist.

Sections

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What's New!

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.

See the older model Lorée oboe now pictured on the website masthead.

An important video of Laila Storch speaking about Marcel Tabuteau at the 1996 IDRS conference.

New family information from Guy Baumier, Tabuteau’s grand nephew.