Stan Garber
Band Instrument Marketing Manager
The Selmer Company
The Selmer Company stands proud of its long association with Anthony Gigliotti. Anthony had a goal of developing the American orchestral clarinet. His partnership with Selmer resulted in the successful model 10G. Not one to rest on his laurels Anthony continued to refine the 10G by exploring subtle nuances in bells, barrels, bore dimensions, and tone hole undercutting, all the while advancing both the art and science of clarinet design and manufacturing. I will fondly remember my time with Anthony. Always the storyteller he would recount his experiences with the Philadelphia Orchestra, most ending with a hearty laugh.
Anthony loved the clarinet. He seemed to have countless gauges and measuring devices, scrutinizing each clarinet he tried. First he would play, then measure, and play some more. Following that would come a ritual of trying different barrels and bells. To the naked eye there would be no differences between these instruments and parts. Even to the gauges the differences would be almost imperceptible. But to an artist like Anthony the differences would be profound. He was always right; we could hear the differences.
I remember one time taking clarinets to Anthony in Philadelphia. Accompanying me was our new Selmer district manager, Steve Lierman. After rehearsal Anthony took his wife, Tai-ling, and us to dinner at a fantastic German restaurant. Anthony wanted to try the clarinets one more time on stage. So here we are on stage playing with the new instruments just twenty minutes before downbeat. Steve had studied clarinet at Butler University in college but had left the field for more years until joining Selmer. He was at once flabbergasted and excited to be on stage with Anthony and the Philadelphia Orchestra in front of that evening’s audience. For Steve, the concert was icing on his cake.
As a young aspiring clarinetist my private instructor shared with me his copy of the First Chair series featuring the various principals of The Philadelphia Orchestra. That was my introduction to the Debussy Rhapsodie.
The Selmer Company and I, along with the rest of the clarinet and music community, will miss Anthony Gigliotti.