Oscar Zimmerman (1910-1987), double bassist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for 36 years and professor emeritus at Eastman, was a member of the first graduating class of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Hired by the Philadelphia Orchestra as a 19-year-old student, he played with the orchestra for six years until joining the St. Louis Symphony as principal bass player in 1936. He played with the NBC Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini from 1938 to 1945 before moving to Rochester. As a teacher of bass, Mr. Zimmerman was unparalleled. He not only taught at the Eastman School, but also spent 44 successive summers teaching at the Interlochen National Music Camp in Michigan. His former students have filled positions (many of them as principal players) in the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Dallas, and Ottawa.
Eastman School of Music
