Vic Firth was born June 2,
1930, in
Winchester,
Massauchusetts, and was raised in
Maine. His father was a successful
trumpet player who tried to get his started on the
instrument when he was only four. As Firth realized he was not
destined for a
career as a
cornetist, he soon began to study
arranging, with additional
lessons on
trombone,
clarinet,
piano and
percussion. He became a full-time
percussionist when he started
high school, studying first with
Robert Ramsdell and later with
George Lawrence Stone,
Salvy Cavicchio and
Larry White. By the age of sixteen he was the leader of his own 18-piece
big band, playing
vibes and
drumset throughout
New England.
After high school, Firth attended the New England Conservatory of Music. In addition to his studies in Boston, Firth made biweekly trips to Juilliard and studied with Saul Goodman.
Firth's teaching career at the New England Conservatory also began before he had graduated, first in the preparatory department, then as head of the percussion department. He has guided numerous gifted students through their education, not only at the conservatory, but also at the Berkshire Music Center, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Percussion students who have studied with Firth hold key positions throughout the world. He is hesitant to mention outstanding pupils, but he fondly recalls a class on percussion techniques for a Copland seminar that included three young conductors - Claudio Abado, Zubin Mehta and Seiji Ozawa.
Vic on the key to his success:
"I still enjoy the music as much now as I did when I started! The Symphony just performed Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony, and it was as beautiful as the first time I heard it." Other keys to succeeding include an enthusiasm for life. "Mostly though," says Firth, "I've just been in the right place at the right time."