[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 175 (Tuesday, December 6, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1601]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING DONALD MONTANARO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROBERT A. BRADY

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate 
the life of Donald Montanaro, who passed away last Wednesday of 
complications from lymphoma. A music teacher at the Curtis Institute of 
Music for three decades and clarinetist for the Philadelphia Orchestra 
for nearly fifty years, Mr. Montanaro touched the lives of thousands, 
in audiences and countless students around the world.
  A Philadelphia native, Donald studied clarinet at the Curtis 
Institute of Music starting in 1951. After graduating in 1954, he left 
Philly to begin his music career. However, like so many Philadelphians, 
he just couldn't resist the call of home. After only a few years 
playing with the New Orleans Symphony and the Ballet Russe de Monte 
Carlo, Mr. Montanaro returned to join the Philadelphia Orchestra in 
1957 as the associate principal clarinetist. He would remain a staple 
of the orchestra until his retirement in 2005.
  Beyond his own remarkable career as a clarinetist, Donald will be 
fondly remembered for what he taught others. As a teacher at the Curtis 
Institute from 1980 to 2014, he brought the legacy of celebrated music 
instructors Marcel Tabuteau and Daniel Bonade to a new generation of 
musicians. His former students can be found in orchestras ranging from 
New York and Los Angeles to Seoul and Beijing. In fact, one of Mr. 
Montanaro's former students now occupies his chair as the Philadelphia 
Orchestra's associate principal clarinetist. In his recordings and 
students, Donald has preserved and passed on the legacy of the 
Philadelphia Sound.
  Although Donald is no longer with us, his legacy will live on in 
concert halls and conservatories the world over. Mr. Speaker, I ask 
that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in celebrating 
the life of Donald Montanaro, one of the finest musicians Philadelphia 
has ever known.

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