Former Philadelphia Orchestra Concertmaster Norman Carol has Died, Aged 95

Carol was a former longtime Curtis Institute faculty member and former concertmaster of Philadelphia Orchestra for nearly 30 years

Norman Carol joined the Philadelphia Orchestra (PhilOrch) in 1966 at the invitation of Eugene Ormandy and retired in 1994. 

With the orchestra, he performed solo almost every season with works by Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, and Brahms, to Nielsen, Britten, Bernstein, among many others. Highlights included premiering Skrowaczewski’s Violin Concerto in 1985, which was commissioned for and written specially for him. 

Born in 1928, in Philadelphia to Russian immigrants, Carol began his violin studies at age six with Sascha Jacobinoff. At age nine, he performed his first concert, and was soon invited to attend the Curtis Institute, where he studied with Efrem Zimbalist; from 1946 to 1947, Carol served as concertmaster of the student orchestra at Tanglewood. 

During his solo career, he recorded a solo recital for RCA in 1954, and was later accepted as a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra under conductors Serge Koussevitzsky and Charles Munch.

When he was drafted by the U.S. Army in the 1950s during the Korean War, Carol served alongside Chet Baker and André Previn in the 6th Army Band, and played solo for Arthur Fiedler and the San Francisco Pops. During this time, he met his future wife, Elinor, whom he married in 1952.

In 1955, he became concertmaster of the New Orleans Symphony and later the Minneapolis Symphony. He played with the PhilOrch as concertmaster for 28 years until 1994, when a lingering rotator cuff injury subsequently ended his playing career at age 66. 

During his tenure, Carol famously traveled with the orchestra to China in 1973, at the arrangement of then President Richard Nixon, to perform and conduct masterclasses in front of Jian Qing, also known as Madame Mao.

Following his retirement, he taught, performed, and recorded with the Philadelphia Piano Quartet, and taught orchestral repertoire at Curtis from 1979 to 2014; he played the 1743 “Spalding” Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ violin. Carol passed away in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, on April 28, 2024, at the age of 95. 

“It was easy to be impressed with the ‘macro’ Norman Carol … he was dashing, comfortable, even swashbuckling as a leader,” recalled violinist Paul Arnold in PO’s tribute on Facebook. “He brought with him a treasure trove of life experiences in music that added both authenticity and bottomless resource to his leading and his persona … he went on to personally embody the ‘Philadelphia Sound’ as our orchestra’s leader.

“But, in so many ways, it was the ‘micro’ aspects of Norman’s personality as both a human being and leader that made his legacy so indelibly imprinted in the minds of those of us who were so lucky to work with him,” Arnold added. “He was a great concertmaster because he was a great leader of people, a great diplomat, a direct and unrelenting defender of tradition and reason. … I will always miss Norman’s impact on my life in the Orchestra, and his unique and character-filled way of defining our traditions.”

“Norman’s passing is the end of an era in our history,” The Philadelphia Orchestra added. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and students. He will be remembered not only as a consummate musician but also as a gifted and devoted leader of the Orchestra and as a mentor and friend to many.”

Our condolences to Mr. Carol’s family, friends, students, and colleagues.