Former American Brass Member Dies At 81
Ed Birdwell, a lifelong horn player and arts administrator, died on January 26, 2018, at the age of 81 in Huntsville, Alabama. As a horn player, Birdwell performed throughout New York City with groups such as the American Symphony Orchestra and the New York City Ballet Orchestra. From 1965-1976, he was a member of the American Brass Quintet. It was during this time that Birdwell played with Gerard Schwarz, the famed conductor of the Seattle Symphony and also a former member of ABQ. Birdwell would later join Schwarz in Seattle to become the orchestra’s Managing Director and Executive Director from 1987-1992.
In addition to his time in Seattle, Birdwell was also a part of the arts management teams for the National Endowment for the Arts, Carnegie Hall, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
