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Philadelphia Principal Bassoonist’s Instrument Trapped In Deceased Repairman’s Shop

By Sara Schabas on January 13, 2025

Mark Gigliotti
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Mark Gigliotti. (Photo: Jessica Griffin)

Co-principal bassoonist of the Philadelphia Orchestra Mark Gigliotti’s bassoon has been trapped in a repairman’s shop in Yonkers, NY, since last November. The repairman died suddenly, leaving the instruments under his care locked up.

What’s the buzz: In November, Mark Gigliotti—co-principal bassoonist of the Philadelphia Orchestra—brought his prized 1931 German bassoon to Nicholas Evans’ repair shop in Yonkers. After a couple of weeks of silence from Evans’ shop, Gigliotti learned the repairman had unexpectedly died in his sleep. As Evans had no immediate family or will, it was unclear what would happen to the instruments under his care. Gigliotti hired a lawyer. Yet, he is still yet to be reunited with the instrument he’s played for five decades.

In the meantime…: While nothing could replace Gigliotti’s own instrument, he has managed to return to the stage thanks to a loan from Peter Schoenbach. The son of former Philadelphia Orchestra bassoonist Sol Schoenbach—with whom Gigliotti studied—, Peter Schoenbach is a bassoonist himself as well as former dean of the Curtis Institute of Music. Both Schoenbach and Gigliotti’s bassoons were made in Germany during the 1930s, a golden era for bassoon-making.

Schoenbach and Gigliotti have described having Gigliotti play Sol Schoenbach’s bassoon as a way of bringing the legendary bassoonist back to life. What will happen to the instruments trapped in Yonkers remains to be determined.

Sara Schabas
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