FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 18, 2008
CONTACT: Christine Paul, Director of Communications
Longy School of Music, One Follen St., Cambridge, MA 02138
Office: 617.876.0956 x1623
Internationally renowned flutist recognized by Longy for excellence in art of teaching
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| Longy President Karen Zorn and Robert Willoughby |
Cambridge, Mass. — Robert Willoughby, whose far-reaching influence on the tradition of flute playing has inspired musicians, has received the 2008 George Seaman Excellence in the Art of Teaching award from Longy School of Music. The award was established in 2003 by the Longy faculty in memory of the late George Seaman, a much beloved member of the cello faculty.
"This accolade recognizes a faculty member whose talents both as a teacher and in service to the school have been outstanding," said Longy President Karen Zorn, who presented the award to Willoughby at commencement exercises held May 18. "Robert Willoughby is an exemplary performer and teacher.”
Willoughby joined the Longy faculty in 1997, having already served as a distinguished member of the Oberlin Conservatory faculty for nearly 40 years and at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University for 10 years. Among other accomplishments he has performed with the Smithsonian Chamber Players, played as assistant principal flute with the Cleveland Orchestra and as principal flutist with the Cincinnati Symphony, and demonstrated a passion for chamber music as a founding member of the Oberlin Woodwind Quintet and the Oberlin Baroque Ensemble, which toured extensively in Europe and the Orient.
In 1996 the National Flute Association bestowed on him its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. Many of Willoughby's former students occupy key positions in major orchestras and other performing ensembles (including principal flutists of the Detroit, San Francisco, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Houston symphonies). There are numerous teachers, chamber musicians, baroque flutists and others who list him as a teacher.
In thanking Longy for this esteemed award, Willoughby said, "Longy, with its wonderful students and faculty, has been a perfect fit for me."
Among Willoughby's recent recordings are "Mostly French" (Boston Records 2006) and the National Flute Association Historic Recording series (volume 3, "Robert Willoughby," 2004). He has also recorded for Gasparo, Vox, CRI, Coronet and Smithsonian labels. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and Master of Music from the New England Conservatory. His teachers were Joseph Mariano, Georges Laurent and William
Kincaid.
He lives in New Castle, New Hampshire, with his wife Elaine.
About Longy School of Music
Longy School of Music, founded in 1915, is a degree-granting Conservatory and school of Preparatory and Continuing Studies located in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school serves approximately 225 undergraduate and graduate students from 37 states and 21 countries, and 1,000 children and adults from the Greater Boston area. For all students, Longy provides a distinguished faculty that promotes profound musical understanding and technical mastery, encourages growth of imagination, and fosters inquiry about the role of music and the musician in the larger world. With a curriculum rooted in the traditions of Western music, Longy’s mission is to prepare musicians to make a difference in the world. It is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the National Association of Schools of Music.
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