Leonard Falcone: Artist, Conductor, Pedagogue (2018)

University of Memphis

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This document explores Dr. Leonard Falcone’s impact on euphonium playing in the United States as both a teacher and an advocate of the instrument.  A Sicilian-born immigrant, Falcone spent forty years as director of bands at Michigan State University as euphonium and tuba professor.  As a baritonist, Falcone earned early praise for his technique and musicianship from notable figures in the wind band community such as John Philip Sousa and Edwin Franko Goldman.  His commercial recordings were groundbreaking and influenced generations of performers and composers. As a studio instructor, Falcone’s pedagogy is still relevant in the twenty-first century. Recognized for its excellence, Falcone’s students developed a national reputation. Among his noteworthy pupils are Earle Louder, Marty Erickson, and Roger Behrend.  Falcone’s artistry and teaching came at a critical time when the decline of professional civilian concert bands in the mid-twentieth century could have left the baritone and euphonium to fall by the musical wayside.  Falcone’s promotion and dedicated teaching contributed significantly to the heightened awareness of the euphonium and unprecedented growth of the repertoire in the last fifty years.  Leonard Falcone’s legacy is the inspiration for the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival, which has placed itself among the most prestigious brass instrument competitions worldwide. 

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