Rodolfo Masella

Masella, Rodolfo

Rodolfo Masella. Bassoonist, teacher, b Montreal 7 Oct 1928, d there 29 Apr 1996. His first instrument was the cello, which he studied with Raoul Duquette and later with Jean Belland at the CMM 1943-6. He then began to concentrate on the bassoon, which he studied 1948-52 with Louis Letellier and Simon Kovar and in the summer of 1954 in Philadelphia with Sol Schoenbach. He was appointed bassoonist with the Variétés lyriques and the MSO in 1946 and served 1954-68 as the latter's principal bassoon. With his brothers Rafael and Pietro, he was part of the Masella Wind Trio 1950-60. He and Rafael performed Karl Stamitz' Double Concerto with the CBC 'Little Symphonies' Orchestra in 1962. He began to teach at the CMM in 1958. He was president of the musicians' committee of the MSO and became manager of the orchesta of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens at the beginning of the 1960s. He became vice-president of the Syndicat des professeurs de l'État du Québec in 1984. His students Stéphane Lévesque and Danielle Parent became principal bassoons of the MSO and Toronto Philharmonia, respectively.

See also Raffaele (his grandfather), Frank (his father), and Joseph, Alfred, Paul, Mario, and Giulio (his brothers).