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Overcast Retired N.Y. Philharmonic clarinetist wows Bellmore-Merrick audience
Editor's note: Weissman is a member of the Merrick-Bellmore Community Concert Association.
The Merrick-Bellmore Community Concert Association recently presented clarinetist Stanley Drucker at Calhoun High School. Drucker recently retired after 60 years with the New York Philharmonic.He served as principal clarinetist for 48 years and played under nine music directors, including Leonard Bernstein and Zubin Mehta. In 1998, he was named Musical America’s Instrumentalist of the Year.
Drucker was accompanied by Marilyn Sherman Lehman on piano, and at the end of the performance was joined by his wife, Naomi Drucker, a distinguished clarinetist in her own right.
Stanley Drucker played all of the pieces beautifully, garnering enthusiastic applause and many “wows” from the audience. Most pieces were unknown to many audience members, and several expressed that they would have enjoyed commentary and background about the sonatas and concert pieces. Although obviously talented throughout the evening, Drucker came alive while performing with his wife. The couple played beautifully together and made an engrossingly charming duet. Lehman’s accompaniment was excellent.
The Merrick-Bellmore Community Concert Association has presented professional concerts to Long Islanders for 57 years. The next concert in the series will be with the Capitol Quartet on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 4 p.m. at Calhoun High School. A limited number of individual tickets will be available at the door for $20 each.
MBCCA also has a special doo-wop concert that will be separate from the 2010-11 series and is not included in the season subscription. This concert will be at Kennedy High School in south Bellmore on Saturday, April 2, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 each.
To purchase tickets or find more information about these and other future concerts, call (516) 868-5366, or visit the association’s website at MBCCA.org.
For more, check out Ann Parry’s blog at annparryny.blogspot.com/2010/11/stanley-drucker-concert.html.
