Howard Van Hyning
Encyclopedia
Howard Martin Van Hyning (January 9, 1936 – October 30, 2010) was an American percussionist
who was best known for his work with the New York City Opera
. He built a collection of more than 1,000 percussion instruments that he would make available to orchestras for performances and which included an array of gong
s that were specifically constructed for use in performances of Turandot
by Giacomo Puccini
. Van Hyning taught at Mannes College The New School for Music.
. He earned his undergraduate degree and a master's from the Juilliard School
, which he attended on a scholarship, studying percussion under the instruction of Morris Goldenberg and Saul Goodman
. He spent two years with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
.
Having been hired by the New York City Opera in 1966, he became the orchestra's principal percussionist, serving for 40 years before he was forced to retire from the company in 2006 due to Parkinson's disease
. During his career he amassed a collection of rare and unusual percussion instruments, including a unique set of 13 gongs constructed by the Tronci family specifically for Puccini.
Van Hyning had been searching for a proper set of gongs and obtained the original set from the Stivanello Costume Company, which had acquired the gongs as the result of winning a bet. In 1987 he bought the gongs for his collection, paying thousands of dollars for the set, which he described as having "colorful, intense, centered and perfumed" sound qualities. He founded Van Percussion as a company that would rent out his rare and unusual instruments to orchestras around the world.
, Van Hyning died at the age of 74 on October 30, 2010, at his home there due to a heart attack
. He was survived by his wife, Marlene Piturro, as well as by a daughter and a son.
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
who was best known for his work with the New York City Opera
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
. He built a collection of more than 1,000 percussion instruments that he would make available to orchestras for performances and which included an array of gong
Gong
A gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....
s that were specifically constructed for use in performances of Turandot
Turandot
Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni.Though Puccini's first interest in the subject was based on his reading of Friedrich Schiller's adaptation of the play, his work is most nearly based on the earlier text Turandot...
by Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
. Van Hyning taught at Mannes College The New School for Music.
Biography
Van Hyning was born in Umatilla, FloridaUmatilla, Florida
Umatilla is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States. It was named after Umatilla, Oregon. The population was 2,214 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 2,502. Umatilla is known as the Gateway to the Ocala National Forest,...
. He earned his undergraduate degree and a master's from the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
, which he attended on a scholarship, studying percussion under the instruction of Morris Goldenberg and Saul Goodman
Saul Goodman
Saul Goodman was a timpanist in the New York Philharmonic orchestra from 1926 to 1972. Saul learned under the instruction of Alfred Friese, whom he succeeded as principal timpanist in the New York Philharmonic...
. He spent two years with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is a professional American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland.In September 2007, Maestra Marin Alsop led her inaugural concerts as the Orchestra’s twelfth music director, making her the first woman to head a major American orchestra.The BSO Board...
.
Having been hired by the New York City Opera in 1966, he became the orchestra's principal percussionist, serving for 40 years before he was forced to retire from the company in 2006 due to Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
. During his career he amassed a collection of rare and unusual percussion instruments, including a unique set of 13 gongs constructed by the Tronci family specifically for Puccini.
Van Hyning had been searching for a proper set of gongs and obtained the original set from the Stivanello Costume Company, which had acquired the gongs as the result of winning a bet. In 1987 he bought the gongs for his collection, paying thousands of dollars for the set, which he described as having "colorful, intense, centered and perfumed" sound qualities. He founded Van Percussion as a company that would rent out his rare and unusual instruments to orchestras around the world.
Death
A resident of Hastings-on-Hudson, New YorkHastings-on-Hudson, New York
Hastings-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in the southwest part of the town of Greenburgh. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 7,849. It lies on U.S. Route 9, "Broadway" in Hastings...
, Van Hyning died at the age of 74 on October 30, 2010, at his home there due to a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. He was survived by his wife, Marlene Piturro, as well as by a daughter and a son.