Longtime New York Brass Quintet Tubist Dies At 79

On January 11, 2021, Thompson “Toby” Willis Hanks Jr, one of the leading tubists of his generation, died at the age of 79 in Westfield, New York.

Born in Beaumont, Texas, Hanks studied music at Lamar University and the Eastman School of Music before embarking on a career in New York that involved performing with the New York City Ballet Orchestra and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. Due to a more than 17-year tenure with the New York Brass Quintet, his sound was heard in countless performances and some of the group’s most famous recordings. An active freelancer in New York, Hanks helped form the New York Tuba Quartet, which included tubists Sam Pilafian, Stephen Johns, and Tony Price.

As a student of brass pedagogue Arnold Jacobs, Hanks passed along his wisdom of music to students at the Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, Yale University, and other academic institutions.

Click here to read his obituary.

Click here to learn more about Toby Hanks.

Image Source: ITEA Online