Epstein, Frank

Percussionist from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, who started out playing the piano but was relegated to percussion based on need in his school’s orchestra. In 1952, he relocated to Hollywood, California and attended a music camp during his sophomore year in high-school where he met Robert Sonner, who would become his teacher at the University of Southern California. When Robert vacated his position, William Kraft took over as Frank’s mentor.

Frank had already been serving as a substitute with the L.A. Philharmonic when Kraft hooked him up with a full-time opportunity in San Antonio, Texas. After two years with the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, he went back to school and studied with Vic Firth at the New England Conservatory and Tanglewood Music Center. Other instructors who influenced him during his school years included John DeSoto, Earl Hatch, Murray Spivack, and Charles White.

Before graduating from NEC, he already had a job with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Ironically, one of the first pieces he played with them was “Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra” by his former teacher, William Kraft. Kraft had written the piece for four percussionists, but seeing as the BSO employed five, he re-wrote it with a part for Frank.

Frank has been a champion of new music ever since becoming director of the NEC Percussion Ensemble. On 1^st May 1977, they premiered Irwin Bazelon’s “Concatenations for Percussion Quartet and Viola”. The Empire Brass did the same with his “Cross Currents for Brass Quintet and Percussion”, with Frank as the soloist, at Harvard University on 16^th January 1981. In 1989, the NEC Percussion Ensemble premiered Christopher Rouse’s “Bonham”. They gave the first airing of Bazelon”s “Bazz Ma Tazz for Trombone and Percussion” on 26^th April 1993. On 13^th April 2003, they unveiled Joan Tower’s “DNA for Percussion Quintet”. Frank reprised the piece in July and August 2003 at the Tanglewood Festival.

On 26^th November 2008, they performed selections from “En blanc et noir” by Claude Debussy and “Symphony No. 3” (“Organ”) by Camille Saint-Saens, “The First Voices” by Fred Lerdahl, and “Orphan San Mao” by Joan Huang.

The BSO appeared at Jordan Hall on 19^th April 2009 for another mix of arrangements and commissioned works. Their program comprised “Baby Elephant Walk” by Henry Mancini, “Cortege” by John Harbison, “Dance Variants” by John Beck, “El Dia De Los Muertos” by Robert Xavier Rodriguez, “Fanfare for Tambourines” by John Alferi and “Slavonic Dance No. 2, Op. 46” by Antonin Dvorak.

On 23^rd September 2009, the BSO opened their season with La Mer by Debussy, “On Willows and Birches” by John Williams, “Piano Concerto No. 2” by Frederic Chopin, with Evgeny Kissin at the keys, and “Roman Carnival Overture” by Hector Berlioz.

The NEC Percussion Ensemble performed Nomi Epstein’s “Percussion Quartet” at Jordan Hall on 22^nd November 2009.

On 14^th November 2010, Frank was the panelist the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The NEC Percussion Ensemble teamed up with BSO alum Ronald Barron on 21^st November 2010 for a recital that included “Rus'” by Scott Stinson, “Symbiosis” by Gunther Schuller, the Boston premiere of “Tutuguri VI (Kreuze)” by Wolfgang Rihm, “We’ve Got Rhythm” by Charles Small and “XI” by Qu Xiao-Song.

On 2^nd October 2011, Frank became a BSO alum himself when he officially retired from the orchestra after forty-three years.

This freed him up a bit to concentrate on another project of his, Collage New Music, a group he founded. On 31^st October 2011, they interpreted “Borne on the Wind” by Julie Rohwein, “The Laws of Motion” by Richard Festinger and “Raising the Grave” by Peter Lieberson, and gave the Boston premiere of “Time and the Bell” by Gerald Levinson.

They delivered the Boston premiere of “Requiescant” by Sydney Hodkinson, the world premieres of “Life in Avondall” by Andy Vores, “Marion, in Memory” and “Pilgrim Voyage” by Charles Fussell and performed “Scenes from the Movies” by Edward Ross Moyer on 5^th February 2012.

On 25^th March 2012, they offered up “Elegy” by Martin Boykan, “Learning to See” by Barbara White, and the Boston premiere of “Songs of Then and Now” by Andrew Imbrie.

The NEC Percussion Ensemble were back at Jordan Hall on 15^th April 2012 for “Kettles” by Alvin Lucier, “Sippal, dobbal, nadihegeduvel” by Gyorgy Ligeti, “Taiko and Congo Fantasy” by Barry Grossman, and the Boston premiere of “Weeding the Mountain” by Osnat Netzer.

Given Frank’s history of live performance, he has also amassed an impressive discography, and here are but a few highlights: America, American Visions, The Celtic Album, Holiday Pops, My Favorite Things: A Richard Rodgers Celebration, Swing, Swing, Swing and A Splash of Pops by the Boston Pops; American Music for Percussion 1, American Music for Percussion 2, Music of Elliott Carter, Vol. 8 and Vintage Renaissance and beyond with the NEC Percussion Ensemble; and, Collage New Music and Collage New Music Performs Donald Sur.

In the field of music education, he has taught at the New England Conservatory of Music and Tanglewood Music Center. During the 2011-2012 academic year, he was a visiting artist at the Curtis Institute of Music. He has given master classes and penned a music instruction book entitled Cymbalisms: A Complete Guide for the Orchestral Cymbal Player.

Frank has also designed and developed percussive accessories and instruments such as castanet carrying cases, claves, an attachment system for cymbal and drum dubbed the Cymbelt, a lucite playing machine, and symphonic castanets.

Sources:

Epstein, Frank

Navigation