Ronald Phillips, 98, clarinetist who toured world
Mr. Phillips, a highly regarded clarinetist who once played the famous opening solo in "Rhapsody in Blue" with composer George Gershwin conducting, had a near-perfect memory of decades of Seattle musical history, from the Roaring '20s through the turn of the millennium.
The Gershwin concert was in Seattle's old Civic Auditorium in 1936, and the clarinetist remembered every detail. He later recalled Gershwin saying, "Boot it out. It's a big place."
Mr. Phillips also remembered playing in the outdoor Seattle "Aida" in 1927, possibly the first uncut performance of the Verdi classic in the Pacific Northwest.
"There were no mikes," remembered Mr. Phillips in a later interview. "They were all out in the open. The staging was quite beautiful. I recall that at the beginning of Act 2, a full moon came up over Lake Washington."
Mr. Phillips received an accolade from the great Sir Thomas Beecham, the maestro who issued a famous warning against Seattle becoming an "aesthetic dustbin." Beecham, who conducted some of the finest orchestras and soloists of his day, praised Mr. Phillips after one of his performances.
Mr. Phillips' colleagues also regarded him highly. Symphony clarinetist Larey McDaniel said at the time of Mr. Phillips' retirement that "the best musical education I ever had was playing alongside him."
Ron Simon, a 43-year veteran of the orchestra's double-bass section, calls Mr. Phillips "one of a kind. He was a mainstay of the orchestra and a model for how a professional musician should behave. They threw the mold away when he was made."
Mr. Phillips, who was born in Lac du Flambeau, Wis., came with his family to Seattle in 1909. Raised in a musical family, he and his two sisters began music instruction early. He was 5 when his father started him on clarinet lessons, and both sisters accompanied him on the piano. He graduated from Lincoln High School, already well on his way to a career as a community orchestra player and dance-band musician in ballrooms, hotels and theaters all over the area.
Mr. Phillips married a musician with the same surname, Gladys Phillips, who was the pianist for the Seattle Symphony and also among those who played in the Gershwin concert. The two were happily married until her death 42 years later. In 1980, Mr. Phillips married Lillian Rigler, a painter and designer, who preceded him in death by a year.
Mr. Phillips played all the members of the clarinet family, from the smallest to the largest, including the basset horn, plus all the saxophones and flutes. He toured with dance legend Martha Graham and performed in the Far East as a guest artist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He studied the clarinet in Paris, where he refined the French sound that stayed with him throughout his career.
The clarinetist was wooed by several orchestras, but he said he was happy to remain in Seattle because that's where all his friends were.
Always stylishly dressed, the handsome Mr. Phillips was a well-known figure across Seattle society, known and loved by students and socialites alike. At the University of Washington, he taught in the School of Music for 30 years. He also was a fixture on the golf courses, continuing to enjoy golfing until rheumatism in his hip forced him to stop only a few years ago.
At age 78, he received Golf Magazine's "Age Shooter Certificate" for playing the Bellingham Golf Course in 76 strokes, thus "shooting his age." A friend and longtime neighbor, Al Elliott, recalls, "He considered it one of his proudest achievements. He even wore a 'Shot His Age' lapel button."
Mr. Phillips kept his fabulous historical memory to the end, even when his short-term memory began to desert him.
A well-known practical joker, Mr. Phillips sometimes provided unexpected sound effects during family concerts. During a performance of "Pop Goes the Weasel," for example, he once set off a confetti-filled firecracker at the appropriate moment.
His final performance as soloist with the Seattle Symphony was in March 1983, when he played the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with Gerard Schwarz conducting. Schwarz's predecessor as Seattle Symphony music director, the late Rainer Miedel, attended that concert only a few weeks before his death and commended Mr. Phillips on a beautiful performance.
Mr. Phillips is survived by his two sisters, Marjorie Gregorie and Rosamond Bargelt, both of Surprise, Ariz.
Memorial services are planned at the Acacia Chapel, 14951 Bothell Way N.E. in Lake Forest Park, at 2 p.m. Sept. 26.