Bassonist Stephen Maxym, who taught at Juilliard from 1950 to 1995, died on October 12 in Laguna Woods, Calif., at the age of 87.

Maxym studied bassoon at Juilliard from 1934 to 1937 and orchestral conducting from 1943 to 1944. His first professional position was as solo bassoonist with the Pittsburgh Symphony at the age of 21. In 1940 he became solo bassoonist with the Metropolitan Opera, a position he held for 36 years (until his retirement in 1976).

Maxym's distinguished career also included appearances with the Marlboro and Newport Chamber Music Festivals. He recorded for the RCA Victor and Columbia labels and appeared as solo bassoonist under the baton of such notable conductors as Fritz Reiner, Otto Klemperer, Bruno Walter, James Levine, Herbert von Karajan, Igor Stravinsky, and Leonard Bernstein.

He published articles in numerous pedagogical journals and held teaching positions at Hartt College of Music, the New England Conservatory, the Manhattan School of Music, and Yale, in addition to Juilliard. His former students currently hold positions in the major symphony orchestras of Minnesota, New York, the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco, Atlanta, Montreal, Israel, and Frankfurt. Many others are in teaching and administrative positions in conservatories, colleges, and universities throughout the country.

In 2001, Stephen Maxym was honored by the members of the International Double Reed Society for his lifetime achievement and contributions to the double reed community as artist and teacher. He is survived by his wife, Lucy; a daughter Eda and son Robert, four grandchildren, and a great grandson, as well as a niece and nephews. Memorial contributions can be made to the Stephen Maxym Scholarship in Bassoon at Juilliard.