Lancie, John de (1921– )

US oboist and administrator. He studied at the Curtis Institute from 1935 and was a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra 1940–42. He met Richard Strauss at Garmisch whilst on military service and commissioned an oboe concerto from him. From 1954 to 1974 he was principal of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and taught at the Curtis Institute, of which he was director 1977–85. He commissioned and gave the first performances of Françaix's L'horloge de Flore (1961) and the concerto by Benjamin Lees (1963) and became director of the New World School of Music in 1987.