IDRS History IDRS History
In 1969, Gerald Corey published and sent a newsletter to 300 bassoonists and bassoon enthusiasts, the names and addresses of which were compiled by him, Sol Schoenbach and William Waterhouse. In this newsletter, the first issue of To The World's Bassoonists , Mr. Corey wrote, "It is my great pleasure to send you this first issue of a newsletter for bassoonists. Its purpose is simple communication... My intent is to stimulate a greater interest in bettering our art as performers and improving the instruments and reeds we play. I will also try to keep you informed on all aspects of performance -- now and from the past." The concept of bringing together double reed players thus was born with the publication and distribution of this newsletter.
The newsletter was an immediate success, and in 1970 it provoked Lewis Hugh Cooper (then the professor of bassoon at the University of Michigan) and Alan Fox (President of Fox Products) to conceive of the formation of an organization dedicated to double reeds. The trio of Corey, Cooper and Fox decided to hold a meeting during the Mid-Western Band Masters convention on December 16, 1971 at the Sherman House Hotel in Chicago to form a "double reed club." More than 35 individuals attended the meeting and organized a forming committee consisting of Gerald Corey, Donald Christlieb, William T. Gower, Richard Lottridge, Donald Muggeridge, Richard Rath, and Patricia Stenberg. These persons adopted To The World's Bassoonists as the unofficial organ of the club, and planned to hold the club's first summer conference at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor from August l to 3, 1972.
At the first IDRS conference at the University of Michigan, members chose the name of the organization (I.D.R.S., now written as IDRS without periods), defined its mission, approved the working constitution, elected officers (see below), and appointed Daniel Stolper as the editor of the oboists newsletter. The conference included lectures and lecture-demonstrations presented by Don Christlieb (The Bassoon Reed), William Waterhouse (The Baroque Bassoon), Hugh Cooper (Maintenance and Care of the Bassoon), Ray Still (Breathing and Phrasing on the Oboe), Larry Intravaia (Comparisons of Bassoon Reeds), and Robert Cowart (The English Horn).
Thus, on August 1, 1972, IDRS was born!
Mr. Corey indeed more than fulfilled his intent as stated in the first issue of To The World's Bassoonists. I am grateful to him and to all of the founding members for their contributions. On behalf of IDRS, I extend my sincere thanks to all of them. Let us not forget these individuals since the society owes its existence to them.
President IDRS (1994-1997)
Boulder, Colorado, August 1995
Professor of bassoon, University of Colorado at Boulder
IDRS Founders: Gerald Corey, Lewis Hugh, Cooper Alan Fox
First IDRS Officers: Arthur Norris, President; Robert Probasco, Corresponding Secretary; Jean Cantwell, Recording Secretary; Blaine Edlefsen, Treasurer
By-Laws: Bob Probasco Lewis, Cooper Gerald, Corey
Program Committee: Richard Rath, Chairman; Carolyn Hadfield; Blaine Edlefsen; Harold Robison; William Waterhouse; Mike Weldon Campbell
Finance Committee: Blaine Edlefsen, Chairman; James L. Burton; Noah A. Knepper
Publicity Committee: Louis Lipnick, Chairman; Mike Misko; Gerald Corey
Library Committee: Elizabeth Abbey; Betty Garrett; Arthur Norris
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