Bernard Garfield
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bernard Garfield (born 1924) is a well-known bassoonist, teacher, composer and pedagogue.
He studied at New York University (1948 BA, English Literature) and received a master’s degree in composition from Columbia University in 1950. He received the ARCM diploma from the Royal College of Music in 1945. He served in the U.S. Army from 1943-1946. In 1946, Garfield organized the famous New York Woodwind Quintet and directed it until 1957. From 1949 to 1957 Garfield held the position of principal bassoonist of the Little Orchestra Society of New York. He was also principal bassoonist with the New York City Ballet Orchestra from 1950 to 1957. Garfield was principal bassoonist of the Philadelphia Orchestra 1957 to 2000, a position he held until Daniel Matsukawa took over in the fall of 2000. His compositions include a woodwind trio, quartets, piano solos, and of course bassoon literature. These works can be viewed and requested through the external link below.
Garfield continues to teach at the Curtis Institute of Music, and has retired from Temple University, where he taught from 1957-2004.
Among Garfield's most important solo recordings with the Philadelphia Orchestra are the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante, K. 297b (1957), the Mozart Bassoon Concerto, K. 191 (1961) and the Weber Andante e Rondo Ongarese, Op. 35 (1962).
