Curtis Mourns the Loss of Pioneering Oboist Laila Storch ('45)

Curtis mourns the loss of pioneering oboist, author, teacher, baker, and linguist Laila Storch (’45), who passed away on Friday, December 2, 2022, at age 101, surrounded by her loved ones on Orcas Island, Washington. She was the first female oboist to graduate from the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with internationally renowned oboist Marcel Tabuteau. A trailblazing musician, Professor Storch served as principal oboe of the Houston Symphony Orchestra (1948–55) and the Mozarteum Orchestra in Salzburg (1955–57) and played with the National Symphony, Kansas City Philharmonic, Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, and American Wind Ensemble of Vienna.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Professor Storch built an inspiring career as a renowned oboist throughout Europe and the United States. From 1950–53 and 1965–68, she participated in the Casals Festival, one of the Caribbean’s foremost classical music events, celebrated every year in San Juan in honor of classical musician Pablo Casals. She was also chosen by Casals to be professor of oboe at his Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, and in the summer of 1965, joined the Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet. In 1968, she came to the University of Washington with the quintet when it was hired as a resident ensemble at the School of Music, and she served as part of the group for 30 years until her retirement on May 31, 1991.

Professor Storch was the recipient of a Fulbright research grant (for research on 18th-century oboe concerti) and had written many articles about oboists and oboe history. In 2008, she penned the definitive portrait of her former teacher, Marcel Tabuteau: How Do You Expect to Play the Oboe If You Can’t Peel a Mushroom?, which was published by Indiana University Press. The book combined Tabuteau’s life and philosophies with institutional and cultural history, with the addition of anecdotal humor gathered from her own experience and that of his friends, family, students, and colleagues.

In 2009, when Curtis held its seventy-sixth annual Commencement, Professor Storch was honored with the Curtis Alumni Award, the highest honor the school confers on its alumni. Established in 2000, the award recognizes outstanding and long-term contribution to Curtis and exceptional contribution to the music world.

The Curtis community extends its deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, former students, and colleagues of Professor Storch.

Explore the Curtis archives. Read Laila Storch’s notes from her lessons with legendary oboe teacher, Marcel Tabuteau, at our digital collections site HERE.

Photo credit: 1.) Banner image: Laila Storch in 1948 with the Houston Symphony. 2.) Laila Storch in 2020; courtesy of the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival. 3.) Laila Storch playing the oboe; courtesy of marceltabuteau.com. 4.) Professor Storch at home in 2020; courtesy of the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival. 5.) Marcel Tabuteau and oboe students, 1948–49 school year. Marcel Tabuteau, Laurence Thorstenberg ’51, John Mack ’51, Louis Rosenblatt ’51, Laila Storch ’45; Courtesy of the Curtis Archives.