John Sherwood de Lancie (July 26, 1921 – May 17, 2002) was an American oboist and arts administrator. He was principal oboist of the Philadelphia Orchestra for 23 years and also director of the Curtis Institute of Music.
Biography
De Lancie was born in Berkeley, California. Starting in 1940, he was principal oboist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Fritz Reiner. In 1942, he enlisted and served in the US military during World War II, performing with the US Army Band.
De Lancie became principal oboe of the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1954, and held the post until 1977. He also performed with chamber ensembles such as the Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet. He also commissioned a piece for oboe and orchestra L'horloge de flore (The Flower Clock) by the composer Jean Françaix. He taught at the Curtis Institute of Music, and served as its director from 1977 to 1985. At the time of his death, de Lancie was one of the few remaining students of Marcel Tabuteau of Curtis. One of his own students, Richard Woodhams, eventually succeeded him as principal oboe in the Philadelphia Orchestra. His former student of the same time, Peter Bloom, aided by de Lancie, published in detail the history of the Strauss Oboe Concerto and de Lancie's role in its creation.
De Lancie died in Walnut Creek, California, in 2002 of leukemia.