Trumpet Master William Vacchiano Dead at 93

Trumpeter William Vacchiano, who never missed a performance during his 38 years with the New York Philharmonic and taught thousands of students through the Julliard School, has died. Vacchiano, who was 93, died Monday.

Vacchiano, a Portland, Maine, native, joined the philharmonic in 1935, becoming its principal trumpet player in 1942, said philharmonic spokesman Eric Latzky. The spokesman noted that Vacchiano's perfect attendance at philharmonic performances during his lengthy tenure was "extraordinary." Not only was he a legendary figure at the orchestra, he also "was one of the great trumpet teachers of the 20th century," Latzky said.

During nearly seven decades at Julliard, he taught some of the world's trumpet greats, including Wynton Marsalis and Miles Davis. The current principal trumpet player of the philharmonic, Philip Smith, was also one of his students.

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