Thomas J. Stacy Jr. Dies April 30

Thomas J. Stacy Jr. (Tom) passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on the evening of April 30th, 2023. Born August 15, 1938 he was a true Leo who loved life, entertaining and painting. His wife Marie, with whom he enjoyed 62 years together, sons Phillip and Barton, daughter in law Helen and grandchildren Thomas and Ally Rose survive Tom.

Tom enjoyed an illustrious 38-year career with the New York Philharmonic. The most recorded English horn player in the world, receiving a Grammy nomination in 2005 (Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra) for his recording with the London Symphony Orchestra, of EVENTIDE- Concerto for English Horn, written for him by Kenneth Fuchs.

Tom has been hailed as “the Heifetz of the English horn” by The New York Times, and was called “a poet among craftsmen” by Leonard Bernstein. He has appeared as guest soloist with major orchestras throughout the world. Additionally he has appeared as soloist more than 70 times with the New York Philharmonic. Tom has been profiled on CBS Sunday Morning, where he was compared to Segovia and Rampal as a pioneer soloist, as well as on NPR’s All Things Considered. He also was interviewed and has performed three times on CBS This Morning. An estimated 5.4 million viewers have seen his solo performances with the New York Philharmonic on Live From Lincoln Center telecasts.

He has given the world premieres of more than 30 new works. In January 1994, Tom was soloist in the world premiere of Ned Rorem’s English Horn Concerto; a work created especially for him as one of the New York Philharmonic’s 150th Anniversary Commissions, and performed the work on the Philharmonic’s Asian Tour and the Philharmonic’s 1996 European Festivals Tour. In November 2000, Tom premiered a new work written for him by John Wyre for English Horn and gamelan, in Toronto; the CBC broadcast the concert. As a best-selling crossover-recording artist, Tom Stacy has shown his musical versatility by combining the sensuous sound of the English horn with synthesizers, guitars, and percussion on two CDs from London’s nu-view label.