Thomas Stacy, who served as the principal English horn player of the New York Philharmonic between 1972 and 2011, passed away on April 30. He was 84.
A native of rural Arkansas, Stacy fell in love with the instrument at the age of 14. He was once hailed as “the Heifetz of the English horn.” Leonard Bernstein called him “a poet among craftsmen.” During his tenure with the New York Philharmonic, Stacy appeared as soloist more than seventy times. He premiered more than 30 new works, including Ned Rorem’s Concerto for English Horn.
Stacy’s 2003 album, Plaintive Melody, with harpsichordist Kenneth Hamrick, is a collection of short pieces. The album includes this beautiful transcription of the Stanley Myers’ Cavatina, popularized by the 1978 film, The Deer Hunter:
Recordings
Myers: Cavatina from “The Deer Hunter,” Thomas Stacy, Kenneth Hamrick Amazon
