Arthur W. Lehman
Encyclopedia
Arthur W. 'Art' Lehman was a widely recorded American Euphonium
virtuoso
and soloist. He was noted for having radically changed the way the instrument was technically performed, and was a major influence on Euphonium soloists who followed him.
Lehman retired as Euphonium
soloist and section leader of the "President's Own" United States Marine Band
in 1971 after twenty-four years of service. During his time with the Marine Band, he performed many solos that set the highest standards for Euphoniumists who followed. Arthur Lehman was instrumental in changing the Euphonium
section of the Marine Band from playing the small-bore C.G. Conn Double-bell euphoniums of the Sousa Band era to the large-bore Boosey and Hawkes self-compensating Euphoniums, which he demonstrated to be more functional and adaptable to modern performance practices.
Drafted into the United States Army upon graduation, although initially assigned to an aircraft factory based on his engineering background, Lehman wound up playing Euphonium
with an Army band from 1944 to 1946.
Having studied with Simone Mantia
, soloist of the Sousa
Band, in the summer of 1946, Lehman began studying Euphonium
with Harold Brasch, the noted Euphonium
soloist of the United States Navy Band. Lehman played with the Penn State Varsity Band and the Philco
Band of Philadelphia during his studies.
Arthur Lehman was accepted into the United States Marine Band in 1947. Retiring with rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant, Lehman also served as the Band's personnel manager from 1956 to 1964.
Lehman's Euphonium
teacher, Harold Brasch had started using a bigger-bore Boosey and Hawkes Euphonium
during World War II, but the bigger-sounding British-made Euphoniums didn't catch on with other American players until the middle 1950s with Lehman's solo performances during Marine Band radio concerts.
In the late 1940s, Lehman worked closely with the British Boosey and Hawkes musical instrument company to produce a set of five custom-made silver-plated "Imperial" model Euphoniums which were used in the Marine Band for over half a century. One of these unique Euphoniums is owned today by one of Lehman's former students, Glenn Call.
Always looking for a darker, more powerful sound, Arthur Lehman also developed the deep, large-bore parabolic-cup mouthpieces generally known today as the "Lehman Special," a radical change from the shallower cup-shaped mouthpieces of earlier Euphonium
soloists. With his performances on the Boosey and Hawkes Euphoniums and his "Lehman Special" mouthpieces, Lehman is widely credited for transforming the typical American Euphonium
sound from the lighter continental sound of the John Philip Sousa
days to the rich, dark and resonant sound common today.
playing techniques and put them down in a document that came to be called "The ART of the Euphonium." These notes developed into a book published in the early 1970s by Robert Hoe, and later by the Tuba Press.
A member of the International Tuba Euphonium Association (ITEA), Arthur Lehman was a writer on Euphonium
technique and repertoire during the 1980s, through the early 2000s, appearing in professional journals and the internet. Following his years in the Marine Band, Arthur Lehman continued playing as a member of the National Concert Band of America. He retired from playing the playing the instrument in April 2002 at age 84½.
"Every note a Pearl!" ... always said with a knowing twinkle in his eye.
. He had pulmonary fibrosis. He was survived by his wife, Frieda.
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
virtuoso
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
and soloist. He was noted for having radically changed the way the instrument was technically performed, and was a major influence on Euphonium soloists who followed him.
Lehman retired as Euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
soloist and section leader of the "President's Own" United States Marine Band
United States Marine Band
The United States Marine Band is the premier band of the United States Marine Corps. Established by act of Congress on July 11, 1798, it is the oldest of the United States military bands and the oldest professional musical organization in the United States...
in 1971 after twenty-four years of service. During his time with the Marine Band, he performed many solos that set the highest standards for Euphoniumists who followed. Arthur Lehman was instrumental in changing the Euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
section of the Marine Band from playing the small-bore C.G. Conn Double-bell euphoniums of the Sousa Band era to the large-bore Boosey and Hawkes self-compensating Euphoniums, which he demonstrated to be more functional and adaptable to modern performance practices.
Early years
Art Lehman was born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and attended Penn State University, where he was awarded a B.A. in Electrical Engineering in 1940.Drafted into the United States Army upon graduation, although initially assigned to an aircraft factory based on his engineering background, Lehman wound up playing Euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
with an Army band from 1944 to 1946.
Having studied with Simone Mantia
Simone Mantia
Simone Mantia was an American baritone horn/euphonium virtuoso and also trombone artist at the turn of the twentieth century. He was both a performer and administrator with many American band and orchestral ensembles...
, soloist of the Sousa
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J....
Band, in the summer of 1946, Lehman began studying Euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
with Harold Brasch, the noted Euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
soloist of the United States Navy Band. Lehman played with the Penn State Varsity Band and the Philco
Philco
Philco, the Philadelphia Storage Battery Company , was a pioneer in early battery, radio, and television production as well as former employer of Philo Farnsworth, inventor of cathode ray tube television...
Band of Philadelphia during his studies.
Arthur Lehman was accepted into the United States Marine Band in 1947. Retiring with rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant, Lehman also served as the Band's personnel manager from 1956 to 1964.
Lehman's Euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
teacher, Harold Brasch had started using a bigger-bore Boosey and Hawkes Euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
during World War II, but the bigger-sounding British-made Euphoniums didn't catch on with other American players until the middle 1950s with Lehman's solo performances during Marine Band radio concerts.
In the late 1940s, Lehman worked closely with the British Boosey and Hawkes musical instrument company to produce a set of five custom-made silver-plated "Imperial" model Euphoniums which were used in the Marine Band for over half a century. One of these unique Euphoniums is owned today by one of Lehman's former students, Glenn Call.
Always looking for a darker, more powerful sound, Arthur Lehman also developed the deep, large-bore parabolic-cup mouthpieces generally known today as the "Lehman Special," a radical change from the shallower cup-shaped mouthpieces of earlier Euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
soloists. With his performances on the Boosey and Hawkes Euphoniums and his "Lehman Special" mouthpieces, Lehman is widely credited for transforming the typical American Euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
sound from the lighter continental sound of the John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J....
days to the rich, dark and resonant sound common today.
Later years
In 1969, Glenn Call, then Euphoniumist with the Continental Army Band at Fort Monroe, Virginia, began studies with Arthur Lehman. It was at this time that Lehman began to meticulously formulate his EuphoniumEuphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
playing techniques and put them down in a document that came to be called "The ART of the Euphonium." These notes developed into a book published in the early 1970s by Robert Hoe, and later by the Tuba Press.
Students
Call continued his lessons with Arthur Lehman through the 1970s after Call was accepted in the Marine Band. During this time, Lee Dummer, of the U.S. Army Band ("Pershing's Own") also studied with Lehman. Other enthusiastic Lehman Euphonium students included Michael Ressler, Frank Noonan, Robert Palmer, Maureen Hickey and Tony Ciarlante. Arthur Lehman's final student - and official biographer - was retired FBI Agent Keith Barton, whom Arthur gave his personal Boosey and Hawkes Euphonium.A member of the International Tuba Euphonium Association (ITEA), Arthur Lehman was a writer on Euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
technique and repertoire during the 1980s, through the early 2000s, appearing in professional journals and the internet. Following his years in the Marine Band, Arthur Lehman continued playing as a member of the National Concert Band of America. He retired from playing the playing the instrument in April 2002 at age 84½.
Notable Quotes
"Remember that accuracy as well as speed are important. Don't lose sight of your pitch, meter, dynamics, tone or tongue!""Every note a Pearl!" ... always said with a knowing twinkle in his eye.
Death
Arthur Lehman died June 19, 2009 at his home in Camp Springs, MarylandCamp Springs, Maryland
Camp Springs is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,968 at the 2000 census. Camp Springs is not an official post office designation, but rather the area is divided between the surrounding mailing addresses...
. He had pulmonary fibrosis. He was survived by his wife, Frieda.
Books and Articles by Art Lehman
The ART of Euphonium Playing, Volumes I and II, published by Tuba-Euphonium Press. (Not to be confused with 'The Art of Tuba and Euphonium Playing', a different book by Alfred Music Publishing).- Euphoniumist Harold Brasch Remembered, an Article in Ten Parts, 2007 http://www.dwerden.com/eu-articles-lehman-Brasch1.cfm
- Arthur Lehman Articles Online http://www.dwerden.com/eu-articles-lehman.cfm
See also
- http://www.tubaeuphoniumpress.com/p368.html
- http://www.dwerden.com/eu-articles-lehman.cfm
- http://www.dwerden.com/euphonia-LehmanAuditions.cfm
- http://www.dwerden.com/eu-articles-lehman-Mouthpiece.cfm
- http://www.infography.com/content/258597210635.html
- http://www.marineband.usmc.mil/audio_resources/discography/bi_disc3.htm