Ever heard of a classical musician's social club in NYC that fits this description?

March 10, 2023, 6:27 PM · Ever heard of a musician's social club in NYC where non-brass classical musicians including names like Heifetz, etc. would hang out - it was described to me as a literal brick and mortar location. This would probably have been some time in the 20s, 30s, 40s.

I'm wondering about the legitimacy of an anecdote someone related to me when I was a kid. They claimed they were the only trumpet player ever admitted to this club.

Replies (12)

Andrew Victor

Edited: March 10, 2023, 6:51 PM · I never heard of it before, but Google took me here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musicians_Club_of_New_York

"Take me back to ol' New York"

When I was a kid in the early 1940s my dentist's office was across the street from Carnegie Hall. (Might it have been above the Carnegie Deli?)

Scott Roberts

March 10, 2023, 6:55 PM · Thanks Andrew. I don't see anything about brass players being prohibited from joining.

Andrew Victor

March 10, 2023, 7:29 PM · Wouldn't that be publicizing discrimination?
I don't think they did that in New York, even then.
But they sure did IT! Then and NOW!

stephen irving

March 10, 2023, 7:55 PM · The club likely was The Bohemians, which I believe was frequented by violinists such as Kreisler, Spalding and Heifetz.

Scott Roberts

March 10, 2023, 10:47 PM · Stephen - would The Bohemians have excluded brass players?

Scott Slapin

March 11, 2023, 4:59 AM · Yes, it was the Bohemians at the Kosciuszko Foundation. I played there once in the very early '90s, and I remember meeting the cellist Martin Ormandy (Eugene's brother) who was in his 90s. I don't remember meeting any brass players, but I don't generally hang with that kind of crowd.

I was mainly there with a group to play the Trout Quintet, but I remember also playing the Prelude to the 3rd Partita (on viola, of course!) It was a nice place, I think I wore a suit.

Stephen Symchych

Edited: March 11, 2023, 6:11 AM · https://www.bohemiansnyc.org/memberships

No special box to tick for not playing a brass instrument, I believe.

Scott Roberts

March 11, 2023, 4:25 PM · Scott - "I don't remember meeting any brass players, but I don't generally hang with that kind of crowd."

That "kind" of crowd? Is that a subtle tongue-in-cheek re: prejudice toward brass players? Lol.

David Burgess

March 11, 2023, 5:43 PM · One needs to be careful about hanging out with players whose instruments incorporate "spit valves". ;-)

Andrew Victor

March 11, 2023, 6:50 PM · Violins and violas don't have spit valves, but something causes those worn areas to the varnish to the right of the tailpiece on old instruments. The same way you can tell an old cello was played by someone wearing a wrist watch.

I played baritone horn for 4 years in high school band! It had a spit valve (of course)!

Scott Roberts

Edited: March 11, 2023, 9:01 PM · One needs to be careful about hanging out with players whose instruments incorporate "spit valves". ;-)

Gentlemen, please - water keys! Lol.

Paul Deck

March 12, 2023, 1:48 PM · One wonders whether the rule forbidding "brass players" was code language for something else.

Ever heard of a classical musician's social club in NYC that fits this description?

Replies (12)

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