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| Sigurd Raschèr | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sigurd Raschèr |
| Birth date | 7 November 1907 |
| Birth place | Dresden, German Empire |
| Death date | 9 February 2001 |
| Death place | New York City, United States |
| Occupation | Classical saxophonist, pedagogue, author |
| Years active | 1920s–1990s |
Sigurd Raschèr was a German-born classical saxophonist, pedagogue, and advocate whose career reshaped the role of the saxophone in twentieth-century classical music and concert music. He premiered numerous works, developed pedagogical methods, and influenced generations of performers across institutions such as the Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, and conservatories in Europe and the United States. Raschèr's relationships with composers, orchestras, and soloists helped integrate the saxophone into repertoires alongside artists associated with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Raschèr was born in Dresden and studied in the milieu of Weimar Republic cultural life and European conservatory traditions influenced by figures from the Dresden Conservatory and the legacy of performers linked to the Gewandhaus Orchestra. His formative training included exposure to pedagogues and performers connected to institutions such as the Berlin Philharmonic circle, the Vienna Conservatory, and chamber music practices championed in salons frequented by associates of the Bach Festival, Leipzig and the Saxon State Opera. Early encounters with repertoire tied to composers like Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Richard Wagner, Robert Schumann, and Felix Mendelssohn informed his approach to phrasing and articulation. Raschèr's move to international stages occurred amid cultural shifts tied to the Interwar period and later the post-World War II musical reconstruction centered in cities such as New York City, Paris, and London.
Raschèr's performing career encompassed recitals, concerto appearances, and premieres with ensembles including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and touring collaborations with chamber groups linked to the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and festivals such as the Tanglewood Music Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, and Salzburg Festival. He appeared with conductors associated with the New York Philharmonic and soloists tied to the Metropolitan Opera and worked with composers and commissioners connected to institutions such as the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and national broadcasters like BBC. Raschèr took part in contemporary music circles alongside figures from the International Society for Contemporary Music and premiered works at venues including Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Konzerthaus Berlin.
Raschèr championed new works by composers such as Paul Hindemith, Igor Stravinsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, Arnold Schoenberg, Béla Bartók, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Carl Orff, Elliott Carter, Paul Creston, Alexander Glazunov, Hans Werner Henze, Hugo Kauder, Alfred Schnittke, Krzysztof Penderecki, Henri Tomasi, Jean Françaix, and Walter Piston. He advocated altissimo technique and developed pedagogical material to extend the saxophone's upper register, influencing method books and studies used at conservatories like Curtis Institute of Music and Mannes School of Music. Raschèr's approach interacted with mouthpiece and reed innovations produced by makers linked to the Selmer Company, Yamaha Corporation, and European instrument builders active in Markneukirchen and workshops like those connected to the Buffet Crampon tradition. His essays and editions engaged practitioners associated with scholarly journals and organizations such as the International Saxophone Committee and national associations like the American Federation of Musicians.
As a teacher, Raschèr gave masterclasses and residencies at institutions including the Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, Royal Academy of Music (London), New England Conservatory, Conservatoire de Paris, Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, and universities such as Columbia University, Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, and Rutgers University. His students went on to positions in orchestras related to the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Dresden, and ensembles in the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest. Raschèr influenced pedagogues who later taught at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, and music schools connected to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He participated in juries for competitions affiliated with the International Tchaikovsky Competition, Queen Elisabeth Competition, and events hosted by the Austrian Cultural Forum.
Raschèr's discography includes solo albums and recordings with orchestras and chamber ensembles under conductors linked to the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, RCA Victor sessions, and labels associated with Deutsche Grammophon, Philips Records, Columbia Records, Nonesuch Records, and Decca Records. He collaborated with pianists and chamber partners connected to the Beaux Arts Trio, soloists tied to the Vienna Philharmonic, and contemporary composers active in festivals like Donaueschingen Festival and venues such as La Scala. Notable joint projects involved premieres and recorded performances of concertos and sonatas by composers connected to the American Composers Alliance and European publishers such as Boosey & Hawkes and Schott Music.
Raschèr received recognition from cultural institutions and governments, including honors associated with music academies like the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, awards connected to foundations such as the Guggenheim Foundation, and commendations from municipal bodies in cities including New York City and Dresden. He was acknowledged by professional organizations related to the International Music Council and received lifetime achievement recognitions presented at venues like the Carnegie Hall and ceremonies hosted by conservatories including the Juilliard School.
Category:Classical saxophonists Category:1907 births Category:2001 deaths