It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Humbert J. Lucarelli of Tuxedo Park on Aug. 10, 2023, at the age of eighty-seven.
Humbert Lucarelli was the son of Humbert R. and Antoinette (Leto) Lucarelli; he was born on July 20, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois.
Virtuoso oboist Humbert Lucarelli has distinguished himself as one of America’s foremost musicians. He has been hailed by the New York Times as “America’s leading oboe recitalist” and has been cited by the Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians as one of America’s most renowned oboists.
Mr. Lucarelli has had a long and distinguished career, having performed and taught extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe, Japan, Australia and Asia. He has been featured in numerous music festivals including Aspen, Chautauqua, Marblehead, Martha’s Vineyard, Music Mountain and Newport.
As an orchestral performer, Mr. Lucarelli has performed and recorded with some of the world’s leading conductors, including Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Fiedler, Kiril Kondrashin, Josef Krips, James Levine, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Artur Rodzinsky, Sir Georg Solti, Leopold Stokowski and Igor Stravinsky.
Humbert Lucarelli has recorded extensively with Koch International, Vox, BMG Classics, MCA Classics, Well-Tempered, Stradivari and Special Music. Of particular significance is his recording of John Corigliano’s Oboe Concerto for RCA Victor, which was written for and premiered by him with the American Symphony Orchestra to a standing ovation at Carnegie Hall.
Mr. Lucarelli was Professor Emeritus at The Hartt School in West Hartford, Connecticut, The Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University, SUNY Purchase and the Yale School of Music Chamber Music Festival in Norfolk, Connecticut.
Lucarelli’s book, We Can’t Always Play Waltzes was published by Carl Fischer. Kristin Leitterman’s Relax and Take a Deep Breath: The Lucarelli Approach to Oboe Playing will be released later this year, also by Carl Fischer.
An honorary member of the International Double Reed Society, one of Lucarelli’s lasting legacies will be the incalculable influence of his teaching on generations of outstanding oboists. On a more personal note, left to cherish his memory are his devoted husband Spyros Konitsiotis of Tuxedo Park, New York; his sister Virginia Malekovic of La Porte, Indiana; and his niece and nephew Pamela Upp and Joseph Malekovic.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mary’s Tuxedo Episcopal Church https://www.stmtux.org/giving or the Photo News: www.bit.ly/supportyourpaper
Arrangements by Smith, Seaman & Quackenbush, Inc. Funeral Homes, Monroe (845 782-8185 or www.ssqfuneralhome.com).