Lorne Munroe

Lorne Munroe (November 24, 1924 – May 4, 2020) was an American cellist. He was principal cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1951 to 1964 and principal cellist of the New York Philharmonic from 1964 to 1996. He was a featured soloist more than 150 times during the 32 seasons he played for the New York Philharmonic. His last performance with the orchestra as a member of the ensemble was on February 27, 1996; although he later returned as a guest artist.

Early life Munroe was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in November 1924. His father, Walter, was of Scottish origin and mother, Zoe, was an immigrant who left the Russian Empire in the early 20th Century having been born in Ekaterinoslav (now Dnipro), Ukraine . When he was three years old he learned to play the cello by using a viola with a leg attached. during World War II, he graduated from Curtis. In 1949, he was the sole winner of the Naumburg award and made his recital debut in New York in November of that year. In 1949-50, he performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, before taking two positions as principal cello, first with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1950–51, and the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1951.

He also taught at the Juilliard School and at the Philadelphia Musical Academy (now University of the Arts).

Lorne Munroe died in May 2020 at the age of 95.