Stanley Drucker

Among the most prominent clarinetists of his era, Stanley Drucker incredibly spent over 60 years as a member of the New York Philharmonic, including 49 as its principal player, performing in more than 10,000 concerts throughout the world as a member of the prestigious institution. He premiered several new works as a soloist with the orchestra, appearing in this manner nearly 200 times during his career. Drucker was married to fellow clarinetist Naomi Lewis, and they often performed and recorded together. He earned two Grammy nominations for concerto recordings with the Philharmonic. In 1998, Musical America named Drucker its Instrumentalist of the Year. Retiring at the end of the 2008-2009 season, he was made an Honorary Member of the New York Philharmonic, and he was presented with the Guinness World Record for longest career as a clarinetist. Drucker died on December 19, 2022, in Vista, California.