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Trombonist Scott Parkinson Dies at 27 Juilliard alumnus Scott Parkinson, who was recently named principal trombonist of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, died suddenly on July 13 at the age of 27. The cause has not been determined.
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| Scott Parkinson (Photo by Jim Bush) |
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A native of Washington, D.C., Parkinson had joined the Buffalo Philharmonic in the fall of 2000 after earning his master's degree at Juilliard that May. He earned his bachelor's degree at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, becoming the third generation of his family to graduate from that school. At the time of his death, he was one of the nation's most promising young classical trombonists.Joseph Alessi, principal trombonist of the New York Philharmonic and Scott's teacher at Juilliard, spoke at his memorial service on July 17 in Buffalo. "Our loss of Scott, so unexpected, so premature and so sudden, causes all of us to hold our breath and to bring ourselves to a stop inside, even if we seem to go on with life on the outside," said Alessi. Parkinson was one of Alessi's "prized students" who had won his spot at Juilliard "over many competing students, to his immense credit." Alessi described him as "a gentle soul" who was "quietly determined to succeed. He was not content with some technical aspects of his playing at first, and he pushed himself in a lesson once to the point of tears to 'get it right.' … Scott was not one to shy away from a challenge and invariably rose to the task." Parkinson became "like a son" to Alessi, who adds, "Needless to say, I was thrilled when he won the second trombone position in a great orchestra like the Buffalo Philharmonic, and then moved up to the first chair. But a moment I will not forget is this past spring, when Scott sent me a copy of a performance he did of Mahler's Third Symphony with the orchestra. When I listened to the music, I appreciated what an extraordinarily gifted musician Scott was … I responded as quickly as I could to him to tell him what a moving interpretation he had given, and to thank him for taking the time to send this to me. It was just like Scott to do an outstanding job, quietly and modestly, when this was work of the highest order."Alessi added: "He has already done so many things that others his age have not yet accomplished, and he is universally admired and loved. Many tangible things will be done in the future to honor him, I am sure … But beyond this, we will honor him whenever we play, and I will never perform a note of that marvelous Mahler again without thinking of the magnificent rendition he gave such a short time ago."Parkinson is survived by his parents, Judith and Leonard Parkinson; his sister, Jennifer; and his wife, Robin (Leech) Parkinson, a bassoonist who is also a Juilliard alumna. Those wishing to honor his memory may make a contribution to the Buffalo Philharmonic, attn: Scott Parkinson Memorial.
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