Life Member. Clarinet
12/16/1939 – 12/12/2021
by Jonathan Sacdalan
It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of clarinetist Gary Gray, one of the most beloved members of our Los Angeles recording community. Continue reading
Life Member. Trumpet
7/11/1947 – 11/27/2021
David P. Searfoss, 74, of Santa Monica, CA, passed away peacefully at St. John’s Hospital on Saturday, November 27, 2021 with family by his side. The late Mr. Searfoss was a longtime Santa Monica resident and a member of the American Federation of Musicians Local 47. Continue reading
Life Member. Composer
3/14/1943 – 10/20/2021
by the Messina family
Frank Jerome Messina passed away in McMinnville, Oregon on October 20, 2021, of heart disease. He was 78.
Frank had a lifelong passion for music, especially the trumpet. He started as a studio musician for MGM in the ’60s. In college, he went on to tour with both the Beach Boys and Paul Revere and the Raiders, playing trumpet, flugelhorn and providing backup vocals. Continue reading
Former Life Member. Violin
12/8/1924 – 10/21/2021
Local 47 Life Member, Russian born and internationally renowned violinist, Daniel Shindarov, passed away on October 21, 2021, in Hollywood at the age of 97.
Former concertmaster in the USSR of Moscow’s Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Orchestras, Daniel began his musical training with Pyotr Stolyarsky, who had also been the teacher of Misha Elman, Nathan Milstein and David Oistrakh, with whom Daniel later studied at the Moscow Conservatory.
After emigrating to the US in 1975, Daniel Shindarov served as concertmaster of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, as well as long-time member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Master Symphony, the Seattle Symphony as well as numerous other ensembles. As a prominent studio musician in Los Angeles, Daniel also performed in many Film Scores and recording sessions.
A public memorial service will be held at 12 noon on November 7, 2021 at Mount Sinai Memorial Park, 5950 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90068 (Forest Lawn Drive Exit on the 134 Freeway).
Former Life Member. Composer/Orchestrator
5/27/1927 – 10/18/2021
Ralph Carmichael, prolific composer, Emmy Award winning arranger/conductor for Nat King Cole, Jack Jones, Ella Fitzgerald and Roger Williams, composer of “The Blob” movie score and considered to be the Father of Contemporary Christian Music, died October 18, 2021, in Camarillo, Calif. He was 94. Continue reading
Member. Violin
7/18/1948 – 9/29/2020
by Cheri Jamison and La Mirada Symphony
As a student of Albert Gillis, James Stark began his violin studies at the age of seven in the San Francisco Bay area. In 1980, he was appointed concertmaster for the Heidelberg Chamber Orchestra and toured extensively in Europe and the United States performing in the major capital cities as a soloist in over 150 concerts. Continue reading
Life Member. Guitar
3/5/1934 – 9/16/2021
A Renaissance man with a deep love of music, flying, teaching, his rose garden, Cadillacs and especially Leah, his wife of 38 years, Ralph Santo Grasso was born March 5, 1934 in Newark, NJ; he left us on September 14, 2021 following heart surgery. Continue reading
Life Member. Piano
10/19/1931 – 8/1/2021
Pearl was a member of Local 47 for 64 years. She began her career at 14 by winning the UCLA Young Artist and the Los Angeles Outstanding Musicians auditions. Pearl was a trailblazer for female musicians in the film and recording industries. She was awarded scholastic and performance scholarships to the University of Southern California (USC), where she received both her Bachelor and Master Degrees in Music where she graduated Phi Kappa Phi, Pi Kappa Lambda, Summa Cum Laude, and was honored as the most outstanding student in the School of music where she studied under John Crown. Pearl taught piano and coached opera at USC under the direction of Walter Ducloux for three years. She appeared as a soloist with the Los Angeles Festival Orchestra, California Chamber Symphony, Ojai Festival Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic among numerous other orchestras. Continue reading
by Richard Simon & Cynthia Crosby
“I should have gone in and pounded the table,” he said, “but that isn’t my style.”
Wally Holmes didn’t need to pound tables; throughout his life, he commanded attention the old-fashioned way: through talent, hard work, persistence – and an astonishing skill in the obscure art of solfeggio.
Life Member. Cello
8/8/1946 – 8/17/2021
by Cecilia Tsan
Requiescat in Pace, dear Ernie Ehrhardt! So sad to see how this terrible disease took you so fast. You’ve been my caring stand partner as Assistant Principal with the Long Beach Symphony for 20 years and 20 more before I joined as Principal. We shared so many great memories together and you always tried your best during rehearsals and concerts. Thanks for your dedication to the Orchestra, your sense of humor and your passion for music. You will be missed.