Daniel Bonade papers
Collection
0010-SCPA
Daniel Bonade, Swiss-born American clarinetist, teacher and writer, was born in 1896 in Geneva, Switzerland and began playing the clarinet at the age of eight. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire and in 1913 won the prestigious Premier Prix. In 1917 while touring the United States, Bonade was offered the principal clarinet position of the Philadelphia Orchestra. In 1930 he left the Philadelphia Orchestra and continued his orchestral career with positions in the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, the Columbia Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra, and the NBC Orchestra. As a faculty member of the Curtis Institute of Music, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Juilliard School of Music Bonade trained many successful clarinetists in the United States from 1920 to 1960. This collection consists of written, photographic, recorded materials, reeds and reed cases, and personal items created or collected by Bonade; brochures, programs and photographs of his wife, Maud Bonade La Charme; and programs, photographs and memorabilia of his parents, Louis and Esther Bonade.
The collection is open for research use.
Materials from this collection must be used in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library's Irving and Margery Morgan Lowens Special Collections Room, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Contact the curator for an appointment: http://www.lib.umd.edu/scpa/contact
6.00 Linear Feet
English
The professional and personal papers, photographs, reed cases, personal items, and recording of Daniel Bonade (1896-1976), clarinetist, pedagogue, and writer fill 10 boxes. The collection consists of correspondence; writings; published programs, newspaper articles, brochures; contracts; itinerary; copyright and patent certificates; photographs; recording; reeds and reed cases; personal and gift items, and brochures and sketches relating to Maud Bonade La Charme and her family.
Daniel Bonade, Swiss-born American clarinetist, teacher and writer, was born in 1896 in Geneva, Switzerland. He was the son of two prominent musicians: Louis and Esther Bonade. He began studying the clarinet at the age of eight with Ferdinand Capelle in Geneva. After Louis Bonade's death, the family moved to France where Bonade studied with Henri Lefebvre, outstanding pupil of Cyril Rose. Bonade's sister, Marie, later married Lefebvre. In 1910, Bonade entered the Paris Conservatoire and in 1913 won the prestigious Premier Prix while studying with Proper Mimart.
In 1916, while touring the United States with Diaghileff's Ballets Russes, Bonade played for Leopold Stokowski, who offered him the principal clarinet position of the Philadelphia Orchestra. In 1930, Bonade left the Philadelphia Orchestra and continued his orchestral career with positions in the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, the Columbia Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra, and the NBC Orchestra.
As a faculty member of the Curtis Institute of Music, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Juilliard School of Music he trained many successful clarinetists in the United States from 1920 to 1960. His students became members of top-ranked American orchestras and included Robert McGinnis, Robert Marcellus, Mitchell Lurie, Ignatius Gennusa, Anthony Gigliotti, and Bernard Portnoy.
Through Bonade's affiliation with the G. Leblanc Corporation, a leading-clarinet manufacturer in Paris, France and Kenosha, Wisconsin, he developed and marketed his mouthpiece, ligature, and reeds. He also published several books on clarinet playing and wrote articles for The Leblanc Bandsman and Symphony magazine. Called the "Dean of American Clarinet Teachers," Bonade's legacy continues through his students and his students' students; many who are teaching at major U.S. conservatories and universities today.
April 4, 1896 Born in Geneva, Switzerland
1913 Won the Premier Prix of the Paris Conservatoire
1916 Married Baroness Maud Gladys Grenier
1916-1917 Toured with Diaghileff’s Ballets Russes, under Pierre Monteux and Ernest Ansermet
1916-22, 1924-30 Was Principal Clarinetist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, under Leopold Stokowski
1924-1940 Taught clarinet at The Curtis Institute of Music
1920 Became a U.S. naturalized citizen
1931-1933 Was Principal Clarinetist with the Columbia Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra, under Howard Barlow
1933-41 Was Principal Clarinetist with the Cleveland Orchestra, under Arthur Rodzinski
1933-1942 Taught at The Cleveland Institute of Music
1940 Toured South America with the NBC Orchestra, under Artur Toscanini
1948-1960 Taught at The Juilliard School of Music
1955 Began his affiliation with the G. Leblanc Corporation, which distributed his products and publications as well as sponsored him as a clinician.
1957 Attained a patent for his famous clarinet ligature, which is still sold and used today.
1960 Retired to Cannes, France and continued teaching
November 11, 1976 Died in Cannes, France
This collection is comprised of thirteen series.
Daniel Bonade gave some of these materials to his student, Jerry Pierce. After Bonade's death in 1976, Maud Bonade, gave the remaining materials to Pierce. When Pierce died, his wife, Linda Pierce, gave all the Bonade papers to the library
This finding aid, and work on processing this collection, was done under the direction of the Curator of the Special Collections in Performing Arts (SCPA) of the Performing Arts Library of the University of Maryland, Bonnie Jo Dopp. The Supervisor of Operations of SCPA, Vin Novara, supervised all the processing. Processors who worked on this collection were (in chronological order) Vin Novara and Phyllis Crossen-Richardson. Phyllis Crossen-Richardson organized the finding aid and wrote its biography of Daniel Bonade
Part of the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library