Author: Loree BF51
Date: 2012-04-19 02:35
Remembering Grover
I remember first meeting Grover at my high school when a chamber orchestra drawn from the CSO was performing in a performance of Messiah. I introduced myself and then helped him find a bathroom, so he could soak up his reed(s). Then, when Mr. Still was at Aspen during a summer, I studied with Grover at his new apartment in Evanston. This might have even been during the following summer, about 1960 or ’61. He and his wife had started to raise Daschunds and there were 3 or 4 listening in. I remember one exercise he gave me was to start on the low G with a crescendo for 8 beats and then go up an octave to the middle G with a decrescendo for 8 beats. I didn’t know it at the time, but this was probably a Tabuteau-type exercise. I remember him saying that he could have attended the Curtis Institute (by invitation), but, as he was just over 21, he was no longer admissible. I am just going to guess that maybe, he had taken some lessons with Tabuteau before that time. Of course, Ray Still was his principal teacher, and after attending the University of Michigan, went to the Kansas City Philharmonic, as Principal. Then, around 1959, he came to the Chicago Symphony, as Assistant Principal. Later, after Larry Thorstenberg, the solo English Horn player, left for the Boston Symphony in 1964, Grover was asked to take over Larry’s position, where he remained until his retirement in 2005.
It was always a pleasure to talk with him, as he had such a wonderful intelligence and was always willing to speak with you and displayed a great wit.
Before all of the above happened, I remember we had tuned in the TV for a CSO performance on the Great Music from Chicago Series and I noticed that the oboe sounded very good and then was rather surprised when they “zoomed” in on the oboist, that it wasn’t Ray, but instead it was Grover. I think Grover would have liked that story. Regards.
R. Still former student
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