Simon Kovar

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Simon Kovar (May 22, 1890 – January 17, 1970) was a 20th century bassoonist and one of the most renowned teachers of the instrument.

Simon (rhymes with persimmon) Kovar was born Simon Kovarski in Vilnius, Lithuania, then a part of Russia, in 1890. He took up the bassoon at age 20 after originally studying the violin. Kovar came to the United States in June of 1922, settling in New York City where he took the position of second bassoonist with the New York Philharmonic. He was highly regarded as a teacher and was head of the bassoon faculty at the Juilliard School of Music for 28 years. Kovar also taught at Teachers College at Columbia University, the Academy of the West, and the Curtis Institute of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College of Music, and the Conservatoire de musique du Québec in Montreal, Canada. His students ranged from top orchestra bassoonists, including Sol Schoenbach and Bernard Garfield to jazz musicians, including saxophonists Stan Getz and Ray Pizzi.

His 24 Daily Studies for Bassoon written in the late 1950s are considered the first practice exercises written for the bassoon.

In the 1950s, Kovar moved to Encino, California where he continued teaching almost until the time of his death in 1970 from complications related to emphysema. He was survived by his wife Rose Kovar and two daughters, Elinore Imber, also a professional bassoonist, and Leah Herzberg.