Vincent Bach
Biography
Vincent Bach (b. Vincent Freiherr von Schrottenbach, 24 March 1890, Baden bei Wien, Austria-Hungary – 8 January 1976, New York, N.Y.) was a Austro-Hungarian-American trumpeter, entrepreneur and composer.
Born Vincent Freiherr von Schrottenbach in the countryside near Vienna, he found an interesting path to a career in music. Initial training on violin was followed by a switch to trumpet at age twelve, but his degree was in engineering from the local Maschinenbauschule. Service in the Austrian-Hungarian navy was followed by a second stint in the armed services, this time as a member of the Austrian Marine Band.
A career in music followed, and Schrottenbach became one of the most important virtuosi cornet players of the era, but events leading up to World War One led to immigrating to the United States and changing his name to Vincent Bach. While he was able to hammer out a career as a performing musician, Bach realized there was a greater need for better quality instruments. Starting with a mouthpiece company housed within the Selmer music store in New York City, by 1924 Bach expanded to making trumpets and cornets under the “Stradivarius” name. A move to the Bronx in 1928 fueled an expansion to building trombones, and as the company continued to grow, a relocation to Mount Vernon, New York, followed. In 1968, Bach sold to the Conn-Selmer Corporation, and the product lines continue to be popular today.
Works for Winds
- Hungarian Melodies (arr. Ioannidis) (1923/2020)
- Viribus Unitus March
References
- Vincent Bach.Wikipedia. Accessed 16 April 2023