Edmond DeLuca, Pianist/Composer
Bill Schenley
http://www.realcities.com/mld/inquirer/news/obituaries/8384516.htm
Edmond G. DeLuca, 95, of Margate, a pianist, composer and
conductor, died March 6 at Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers
Point of complications from a fall. He had lived in Drexel
Hill for many years.
Mr. DeLuca learned to play the piano while growing up in
South Philadelphia and began composing music when he was 12.
In 1936, he was awarded first prize in a national
competition for his Robin Hood Dell Suite, which was
performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. He later studied at
the Juilliard School in New York on a four-year fellowship.
In 1960, the London Philharmonic recorded his Conquerors of
the Ages Suite.
By then he had also composed string quartets, a piano and a
violin sonata, and three symphonies. Recordings of his
compositions did not make him rich, his niece Madeline
Farnese said. "His music was ahead of its time," she said.
"It sounds contemporary now."
She said Mr. DeLuca turned down the chance to write scores
for movies because he didn't want to raise his family in
Hollywood. Instead, he earned a living arranging music,
teaching privately and at the Philadelphia Music Academy and
the Curtis Institute of Music - one of his students was
Mario Lanza - and as a band leader. His orchestra performed
at the Drexelbrook Inn, at the Warwick Hotel, and at summer
resorts at the Jersey Shore. In 1968, Mr. DeLuca was one of
the lyricists of the song "Philadelphia, My Home Town." He
retired in the 1980s.
His niece said he continued to play the piano until last
year, when his wife, Carolyn Durso DeLuca, died. The couple,
who had been childhood sweethearts, had been married 71
years. He is survived by sons Edmond Jr. and Michael; a
sister; and five grandchildren. Another son, Charles, died
in 1988.
The funeral and burial were private.
stl0...@gmail.com
jsowers
news:4b11888d-b605-49bf...@googlegroups.com:
newsgroup. Geez, no wonder people on Google Groups don't know how old
the posts are. The date is all the way across on the right hand side,
almost out of sight. Anyway, you might be able to contact one of his
children or his niece, all mentioned in the obit ten years ago. But the
chances they will see this post are nil.
I also happened to see that Edmond DeLuca Jr. died in 2011. Here is the
link to his obit if that helps. It says the one remaining DeLuca son is
living in Hawaii.
www.legacy.com/obituaries/philly/obituary.aspx?pid=153137697
DeLuca Sr. obit follows:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
itsam...@gmail.com
> many years ago I was a student of Jules Serpentini, the then-retired second planet in the Philadelphia Orchestra, who also lived in the Drexel Hill area, and, I infer was a good friend of Edmond DeLuca.at that time Mr Serpentini shared with me a menu script copy of a sonata that Dr the DeLuca had composed and dedicated to the artistry of Jules Serpentini. I was able to photocopy the clarinet part to that Sonata, but was never able to locate the piano part. I have not been able to locate any published edition of the Sonata, & I was wondering whether there is any way to contact Mr. DeLuca's family or personal representative to discover whether the piano part might still exist, and / or be available.
Best Regards,
Michael DeLuca
itsam...@gmail.com
> On Tuesday, August 19, 2014 at 11:26:12 AM UTC-7, stl0...@gmail.com wrote:
> > many years ago I was a student of Jules Serpentini, the then-retired second planet in the Philadelphia Orchestra, who also lived in the Drexel Hill area, and, I infer was a good friend of Edmond DeLuca.at that time Mr Serpentini shared with me a menu script copy of a sonata that Dr the DeLuca had composed and dedicated to the artistry of Jules Serpentini. I was able to photocopy the clarinet part to that Sonata, but was never able to locate the piano part. I have not been able to locate any published edition of the Sonata, & I was wondering whether there is any way to contact Mr. DeLuca's family or personal representative to discover whether the piano part might still exist, and / or be available.
>
> Best Regards,
> Michael DeLuca