MEET
scream, ‘She’s going to take me to the
movies.’ He’s never lost his enthusiasm.”
Vivacity and enthusiasm are qualities that,
as friends and colleagues are quick to point
out, Mrs. Sokoloff herself possesses in
abundance. “Eleanor has always had a great
enjoyment of fun,” said Mrs. Wolf. “She has
a great sense of humor and she loves parties
and she loves good food.”
Speaking of Maine summers filled with
“great picnics and lobster parties,” Mrs. Wolf
recalled a side of her friend perhaps less
familiar to Mrs. Sokoloff’s Philadelphia fans.
Long afternoons were spent mackerel fishing,
and a telescope — bought ostensibly for the
Sokoloffs’ younger daughter, Laurie (now
playing piccolo for the Baltimore Symphony
Orchestra) — came in handy for keeping the
ever-curious Mrs. Sokoloff apprised of the
goings-on of neighbors around the harbor.
The neighbors didn’t seem to mind. “She’s
very much beloved by all the people in
Maine who know her,” said Mrs. Wolf,
adding that Mrs. Sokoloff’s “enthusiasm,
her joie de vivre — even though she really
misses Billy terribly — is remarkable.”
Violinist Arnold Steinhardt, not noted
for his piano playing, is quick to absolve Mrs.
Sokoloff of any blame but hopes to capitalize
on her vitality to get a second chance.
“I always enjoyed spending time with you.
Eleanor and Vladimir Sokoloff, circa 1945
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OVE RTON E S
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SPRING 2005
It was your wit, your charm, your stories!”
he wrote in the tribute book. “I felt less good
about my piano lessons because I was young,
undisciplined, and lazy; and therefore missed
a great opportunity. Eleanor, I celebrate your
spirit, your energy, and your wonderful 90
years on this earth. But before you reach
100, could I possibly take a few more lessons
with you?”
She may well grant his wish, as she shows
no signs of slowing down. Her recently
mastered computer skills are superior to
many users several decades younger, and
friends and relatives are often surprised by
the frequency of her e-mail correspondence,
which includes a hearty selection of forwarded jokes.
Shortly after Mrs. Sokoloff’s 80th birthday,
her elder daughter, Katharine, told me about
a recent call from her mother to say that she
had bought a NordicTrack cross-country ski
exercise machine. “I bought the super-deluxe
version,” the vigorous octogenarian reported.
“Oh,” responded her slightly perplexed
daughter. “What did you do that for?”
The answer provides a perfect summary
of Mrs. Sokoloff’s ebullient outlook on life:
“Because it came with a 25-year warranty.”
With 15 years to go on that warranty, I hope
the machine makes it.
Happy birthday, Eleanor. THE
FACULTY
TAKING AND
GIVING ADVICE
Trombonist Nitzan Haroz
encourages individuality
BY LAURA C. KELLEY
Reading a program at a music festival he was
attending in 1997, trombonist Nitzan Haroz
discovered that Nino Rota had composed a
trombone concerto. He had heard his mother,
Adina — a professional harpist — perform
some of Rota’s pieces. “They always sounded
fascinating and beautiful,” Mr. Haroz said.
After hearing the trombone concerto, he
was determined to perform it one day. That
day would be January 30, 2005, with the
Curtis Symphony Orchestra conducted by
Christoph Eschenbach.
“It has many lyrical, beautiful opportunities
to sing through the horn, which I look for
in all pieces,” Mr. Haroz said of the concerto.
“Many people are not aware that the
trombone can be a solo instrument as well
as an orchestral instrument. This concerto
allows the listener to hear the possibilities
of the instrument: its quality, range, and
technique. It’s not a Paganini piece, but
it does include a few show-off moments.”
The performance also brings together
various facets of Mr. Haroz’s life as a musician.
He has been the principal trombone of the
Philadelphia Orchestra since 1995 and
joined the Curtis faculty in 1998. He is a
proponent of expanding the repertoire and
following one’s musical personality rather
than a strictly traditional repertoire.
“I like to be very flexible,” he said when
describing his approach to teaching. “I let
the students bring in what they want to work
on, and if there’s a weakness, we’ll study an
étude or exercise to address it. We focus
on the musical aspect of the piece, whether
it’s solo repertoire, chamber music, or an
orchestral excerpt. From there, I find ways
to address the technical elements, such as
the physical demands, the instrument itself,
intonation, or rhythm. If the students
understand the music and the fundamentals,
the technical problems will get solved.”
Nitzan Haroz, center, onstage in Verizon Hall with the Curtis trombone section (from left: Weston Adolphus Sprott,
David Murray, Shachar Israel, and Chris Guilfoyle) after their January 30 orchestra concert, in which he was soloist
in the Rota concerto. ~ PHOTO: CANDACE DI CARLO
By seeking their own music, his students
explore the field and find out what is
being performed and written. They perform
frequently on student recitals, often presenting
works that have not been played in the past
few years, at least. “I approach my students
individually to help them develop their
own personalities,” Mr. Haroz said. “I’m not
interested in musical reproductions of myself.
They need to search for themselves.”
He also wants to make sure that his
students know how to learn on their own,
because he recognizes that Curtis is a
temporary stop on their musical journeys.
“They need to find a way to develop teaching
skills and sensitivity to details, to open their
ears to find problems before their lessons,”
he said.
It’s a lesson he learned himself about 12
years ago, while associate principal trombone
of the New York Philharmonic; he had a
sudden problem in his playing. Certain notes
weren’t responding properly — and he had
to figure out for himself what adjustments to
make. “I’m a better player for it, more aware
of myself while playing,” he said. “It’s why I
encourage my students to develop the ability
to know more about what they’re doing, to
be able to adjust to change. Unlike athletes,
musicians have no private coaches watching
every move during practice. You have lesson
time but are not together when practicing.
We are forced to be our own coaches, and
we have to be critical of ourselves and find
ways to heal.”
BECOMING A TROMBONIST
When he was 9 years old, Mr. Haroz saw
a picture of a trombone in a brochure. He
didn’t know what it sounded like, but he
was hooked. He immediately told his mother,
“This is what I want to play.” As a professional
musician, she seized the opportunity to let
him follow his instinct.
“But it was hard to find a teacher in Israel
then, in 1978,” Mr. Haroz said, “someone
to teach a little boy.” His mother found
Eli Aharoni, who became one of his most
influential teachers, and he later studied
with Mitchell Ross in Israel, too. Mr. Haroz
played in youth orchestras and had public
performances with his mother. He discovered
that gigs were a way of earning money, but
he was not considering a career as a
professional musician.
“The most important decision of my life
was to join the military band,” he said.
Enlisting in the Israeli Army at age 18 was,
and still is, obligatory. “Growing up in the
harsh reality, not joining was not an option.
I was excited for the opportunity to join.
My father — who is not a musician but
appreciates music — pressured me to take the
band audition. ‘If the Israeli Army can afford
to have a band, there’s no reason you shouldn’t
be part of it. You’re not wasting three years
as a soldier.’ I listened, like a good boy.”
He took the audition, won it, and for
three years played in the Israel Defence
Forces Orchestra. Its repertoire was primarily
marches and big band music. If he had put
his trombone aside for military service, he
believes that he wouldn’t have picked it
up again. Instead, he had one ensemble
to perform with steadily. As soon as he was
released from the military, Mr. Haroz traded
his uniform for concert dress and became a
member of the Rishon Le Zion Opera and
Symphony Orchestra.
“I was encouraged by friends not to get
stuck in a symphony orchestra too soon,”
he said. “I was 21, had not gone to college,
and colleagues who had been in the United
States to broaden their horizons suggested
I go. And I listened to them, too.”
He studied at Juilliard for a year and a half
with Joe Alessi (a Curtis alumnus) and for
two seasons was assistant principal of the
New York Philharmonic before moving to
Philadelphia. Today, he’s active in coaching,
master classes, brass festivals, and trombone
events. He and his mother still perform,
particularly duets they have commissioned
for harp and trombone, and last year they
gave a recital at the International Trombone
Festival. Mr. Haroz is also involved in
Musik i Blekinge, a summer brass festival
in Karlskrona, Sweden, that draws players
from around Europe.
Open to many styles of music, Mr. Haroz
dabbles in jazz and Latin music. He relishes
outdoor adventures, such as mountain biking,
scuba diving, and hiking. These days, though,
his time away from the trombone is focused
on his family — son Eyal was born to him
and his wife, Rachel, this past September.
Choosing an instrument is a long way off
for Eyal, but he’s already responded with
contentment to the music that fills his home.
It seems that a fondness for music runs in
the family. OVE RTON E S
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