| James B. Underwood 1948 - 2006 | September 2, 2006 | |||
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Joyce Davis writes: Surrounded by his family, James (Jim) Underwood, 57, Principal Trumpet of the Columbus (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra, passed away on Friday, August 4, 2006 after a four-year battle with parotid (salivary) gland cancer. Born in Kokomo, Indiana on August 19, 1948, Jim spent his formative years living in Garden City, Michigan, near the Detroit metropolitan area. Dr. Gordon Mathie, with whom Jim studied at National Music Camp, was one of Jim’s earliest teachers. Throughout Jim’s battle with cancer, Dr. Mathie had been working on an article documenting the stages of Jim’s disfiguring surgeries and Jim’s continuous resilience to continue performing. Dr. Mathie plans to complete this article for the ITG Journal. His friend and colleague, tubist James Akins, would make adaptations to Jim’s mouthpiece and instrument to keep Jim playing. After one of Jim’s last surgeries, he performed Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 with the Columbus Symphony this past May. Jim Akins could only praise Underwood’s brilliant yet poignant performance as “amazing”. At eighteen, Jim began his life-long connection with Mr. Frank Kaderabek, former Principal Trumpet of the Detroit and Philadelphia symphony orchestras. When the Michigan Youth Orchestra began at Meadowbrook, Kaderabek suggested Jim for Principal Trumpet. The conductor was, at that time, the famous James Levine. Jim studied at the University of Michigan with Professor Clifford Lillya. For all who knew Jim and his playing, they marveled at his impeccable performances and a glorious sound, but also his upbeat, but “laid back” personality. “Jim could play anything,” said Don Hazzard, former Principal Trumpet of the Honolulu Symphony. Underwood and Hazzard were often paired together in the University of Michigan orchestras. But Jim was not only a “trumpet player”; he performed as solo cornet of the famous Leonard B. Smith Band in Detroit. And after leaving the University of Michigan, Jim was Solo Cornet of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, performing for many dignitaries as well as the inauguration of President Richard M. Nixon. At the invitation of Frank Kaderabek in 1988, Jim played Second Trumpet with the Philadelphia Orchestra on their South American tour. Following this tour, Jim Underwood was named Principal Trumpet of the Columbus Symphony. He sounded phenomenal; I heard him when I played in the section or while listening in the audience. His extraordinary sound touched everyone; his generous, kind and jovial personality was a bonus to all that knew this remarkable trumpet player and person. James Underwood is survived by his family, Marty, his wife of thirty years, daughters Sonya and Jamie, and his son, Alvin. The Columbus Symphony will dedicate the concerts on September 15 and 16 to the memory of their colleague, James Underwood, Principal Trumpet 1988-2006.
Gordon Mathie writes: Jim was the epitome of courage and determination. In the words of Jim Akins, principal tuba of the Columbus Orchestra, “Some players call in sick when they think they are getting a cold sore. With each surgery we would have to adapt his trumpet [and mouthpiece] because more of the right side of his face was removed … but he kept coming back.” I personally witnessed his amazing recuperative strength twice, with sterling performances of Petroushka and Shostakovich's Symphony No.8. Jim never uttered a word of complaint to me after the cancer was diagnosed. He would call and ask for advice on “this problem” but never asked for sympathy, just for technical help. A week before he died he called, asking not for sympathy but for advice on the placement of his tongue to avoid multiple sores. To me, he was a tremendous musician and a very humbling person. Words from Jim’s section colleagues: Tom Battenberg, “Jim Underwood was a terrific human being, a first-class trumpet player, and a wonderful friend and colleague. As principal trumpet of the Columbus Symphony for the past 18 years, Jim led our section in a way that made us better players. He was an inspiration to all who knew him and I truly believe he made the orchestra rise to a higher level when he was playing. Jim was a silent sufferer of the cancer that we all thought would end his playing days much sooner than it did. He rarely complained and hardly any of us knew how bad the cancer really was. He came back after his first operation in 2002 to perform, among other pieces, Petroushka, and after his most recent operation to perform Mahler's Symphony No. 5, both with spectacular results. Jim’s leadership, showmanship, personality, sense of humor, and devotion to his art will truly be missed. We all have lost a great friend and colleague.” Jeffrey Korak, “Jim was a great friend and colleague. From my first day at work back in September of 1999, it has been nothing but a thrill to work with and listen to Jim play. He was such an inspiring musician to work with…he always had an innate sense for what ever style of music we were playing. The amazing thing about Jim was that he always put all of his heart into the music. Every phrase had thoughtful nuances showing his personality. You always knew that Jim would raise the hair on the back of your neck on a Saturday night. What a thrill it has been!” James Underwood held positions with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Michigan Opera Theater, and was a soloist with the United States Marine Band and the White House Orchestra. As a well-known soloist, Jim has been featured many times with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. As a guest soloist he has performed with the Houston Pops, at the Meadowbrook Festival in Detroit, and for many years has been a featured soloist at the Blossom Center in Cleveland. Author’s note: James Underwood was an Interlochen student of mine and took my place when I left the Leonard Smith Band.
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