Stanley Hasty

There are certain individuals throughout the history of music performance that have distinguished themselves as pedagogues as well as performers. Stanley Hasty is one such person. From 1943-68 he held the position of principal clarinet in six major orchestras: the National Symphony Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. He was also on the faculty of a number of the nation's premiere musical institutions including the Eastman School of Music, the Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory, the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Peabody Institute. His legacy, however, will most likely be remembered through his work as Professor of Clarinet at the Eastman School of Music from 1955-85. His success as a pedagogue is substantiated by his students, many of whom occupy significant musical positions throughout the United States. The purpose of this paper is to provide an extensive biography of Stanley Hasty and a detailed study of his pedagogical methods. Both aspects will be examined in the context of their impact on his students as well as future generations of clarinetists. The majority of the information presented was gathered through in-depth interviews with Stanley Hasty, his wife June and six former Eastman School of Music students: David Bellman (Principal Clarinet—Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra), Larry Combs (Principal Clarinet—Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Frank Kowalsky (Professor of Clarinet—Florida State University), Elsa-Ludewig-Verdehr (Professor of Clarinet—Michigan State University), Tom Martin (Associate Principal Clarinet—Boston Symphony Orchestra) and Maurita Murphy Mead (Professor of Clarinet—University of Iowa).