Joseph Allard

Who was Joseph Allard?

Joseph Allard, a native of Lowell, MA, was a professor of saxophone and clarinet at the Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory, the Manhattan School of Music, as well as adjunct positions at many other schools. He succeeded saxophonist/clarinetist Vincent J. Abato at Juilliard and was the saxophone instructor there from the 1956-57 school year until the end of the 1983–84 year. He was the first saxophonist with the NBC staff orchestra in New York City. He played the "Firestone Hour" and "Bell Telephone Hour" on TV and radio, as well as bass clarinet in the NBC Symphony Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini from 1949-54. He played with Red Nichols and the Five Pennies, and for a brief period played with Red Norvo's orchestra.

Among his famous students are Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Bob Berg, Dave Tofani, Dave Liebman, Paul Winter, Victor Morosco, Eric Dolphy, Harvey Pittel, Col Loughnan and Kenneth Radnofsky. Joseph was the coach for the saxophone section in Glenn Miller's Orchestra as well as Benny Goodman's Orchestra.

Joseph studied clarinet under Gaston Hamelin of the Boston Symphony and saxophone under Lyle Bowen.