In Memoriam: Mitchell Lurie, 86

December 9, 2008 2:58 PM

Mitchell Lurie, a renowned clarinetist and clarinet teacher who taught for many years at the USC Thornton School of Music and the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, died of pneumonia Nov. 24 at his home in West Los Angeles. He was 86.

Lurie joined USC in 1952 and taught clarinet and woodwind chamber music until several years ago. For more than 20 years, he had similar duties at the Music Academy of the West in the summer.

He also presented clinics, seminars and workshops across the United States and around the world, including the first International Clarinet Seminar in Australia in 1976.

Pablo Casals, the great Spanish cellist and conductor with whom Lurie once performed, called him the “ideal clarinetist.”

A Brooklyn native who grew up in Los Angeles, Lurie was the principal clarinetist for the Pittsburgh Symphony and then the Chicago Symphony in the late 1940s.

As a top clarinetist for Hollywood studios, he contributed to the scores for such movies such as The Apartment, Dr. Zhivago and Mary Poppins.

Later he became a distinguished chamber musician who perhaps was best known for performances with the Budapest String Quartet and the Muir String Quartet.

As a soloist, Lurie performed the 1967 West Coast premiere of Aaron Copland’s “Clarinet Concerto,” and he later performed the U.S. premiere of Pierre Boulez’s “Domaines.”

Lurie made numerous recordings over the decades, but one of the more noteworthy was his CD of the Brahms and Mozart clarinet quintets, which are the central chamber music pieces for the clarinet.

Over the years, Lurie developed reeds, ligatures and mouthpieces widely used around the world.

In addition to his sons, Lurie is survived by his wife Leona; five grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

A memorial concert and celebration of his life and work will be held at USC early next year.

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