Glenn Dicterow, who will hold the Robert Mann Chair in Strings and Chamber Music at the USC Thornton School of Music, will give his final performances as concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic from June 24-28.

The concerts, which are being held at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, are a culmination of the Philharmonic’s recent festival, The Beethoven Piano Concertos, as well as a celebration of Dicterow’s career.

Glenn Dicterow will undoubtedly make an invaluable contribution to the legacy of our department.

Midori Goto

Dicterow has served in his current role for more than 34 years, the longest tenure of any concertmaster in the organization’s history.

This fall, he will join the USC Thornton faculty. His selection was made following a two-year international search to find the ideal individual to hold the inaugural Mann chair, a position honoring the life and work of Robert Mann, founder and first violinist of the Juilliard String Quartet.

“We are very excited for Glenn Dicterow to join us at USC,” said USC Thornton Dean Robert A. Cutietta. “The addition of Glenn to our faculty rounds out an already stellar group of individuals who are distinguished musicians as well as dedicated and inspiring teachers.”

Longtime ties with USC faculty

When Dicterow arrives at USC Thornton, his new colleagues will be old friends.

“I go back a long way historically with a lot of the faculty,” Dicterow said, noting long-standing friendships with faculty members Midori Goto, Ralph Kirshbaum and Alice Schoenfeld.

“Glenn Dicterow will undoubtedly make an invaluable contribution to the legacy of our department,” said Goto, holder of the Jascha Heifetz Chair in Violin and chair of the strings department at USC Thornton. “He has had an illustrious career, and his expertise will benefit both our students and the entire community.”

A native of Los Angeles, Dicterow made his debut at age 11 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where his father served in the violin section for more than 50 years. As a teenager, Dicterow studied with legendary violinist and USC faculty member Jascha Heifetz. Prior to joining the New York Philharmonic, Dicterow served as associate concertmaster and concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

“The appointment of Glenn Dicterow, one of the icons of American orchestral life, is simply great news for LA’s musical community,” said Deborah Borda, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. “Beyond marking the return of a native son, it is emblematic of the vitality of our artistic culture and the simple fact that this is a thriving and ever-evolving center for creativity. We welcome him and his family’s longtime connection to the Philharmonic home.”

While the appointment at USC Thornton concludes an illustrious career with the New York Philharmonic, it’s a move that Dicterow approaches with great enthusiasm and optimism.

“I will have had almost 40 years of orchestral playing, and I’m ready for the next part of my life,” he told the Daily Trojan.

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