Ian Polster passes away

[ddsbstrb]

Composer, arranger, conductor, trombonist, Ian Polster passed away this past Saturday, February 10th, 2024, in Springfield, Ohio. Ian had been very ill for the past, two, years and spent most of these two years in a local nursing home, trying to get his strength back. Ian and I spent the good part of 50 years playing in various trombone sections in bands and orchestras around SW Ohio. Some of you may have only known Ian from some of his compositions or arrangements he had published through the past years.

Ian did a wonderful adaptation for Wind Ensemble of the Symphonic Dances from the West Side Story. I believe that was a Schirmer Publication. For both band and orchestra he did a great arrangement/collection of M. LeGrand music, might have been called Michele LeGrande In Concert? Also did a band and orchestra version of That's Entertainment. A lot of his popular styled arrangements were published by Mills Music. Sadly, a lot of these things are POP.

Ian was also on the cutting edge for using the personal computer in music preparation. I was still pushing Esterbrook and Osmiroid pens and ink around on music paper, when he was turning out stuff on his computer. I didn't get into computer music prep until around 1995. By that time he knew Finale forward and backwards! I will always be so grateful to Ian for his patience when I began to use Finale, in my music prep. work. He was a super Finale teacher.

Ian, Rest In Peace, my friend for ever!

[dougm]

Hi Denny. Sorry for your loss!

Doug

[ddsbstrb]

He was a huge talent, beyond the trombone, in compostion and arranging, many tend to overlook. Did you ever get a chance to work with him? He was from Bexley and went to Bexley H. S. Then to Ohio State and did composition MM at Yale in the summer and might have taken a year off to finish it. Not really sure who he studied with at Yale.

Ian was very active, until a few years ago, in the OSU Alumni Marching Band Program. At one point he co-directed it and wrote a ton of arrangements for the group over the years.

Thanks for reading, Doug.

[dougm]

Hi Denny,

I never had a chance to meet him. I have played his "Symphonic Dances from West Side Story" a couple of times. I remember you referring to Ian when we have played together.

Take care. Be well.

Doug

[heldenbone]

Ian wrote a piece for MLK that incorporates a 12-tone set at one point to depict the chaos following his assassination, and several hymn tunes to put across Martin's message - Mighty Fortress, We Shall Overcome...

Ian was always good for a prank. Some time following the 1967 Arab/Israel war, Ian had taken to carrying a telephone handset and ringer in his trombone case. He would sound the ringer, pick up the handset, and hand it to someone near him saying it was someone ridiculous wanting to speak to them.

During a Springfield Symphony rehearsal, he was having some issue with a passage, not playing it to the satisfaction of the conductor, John Ferrito. This went on for a bit without sufficient improvement until Ian felt it was long enough. "ring, ring... ring, ring" Ian picked up the handset, "Hello? Yes, I understand. Yes I agree. One moment. Obviously, this brought an entire symphony orchestra rehearsal to a halt.

"John, it's for you. It's Golda. She says 'Leave the Jew alone.'"

Much ado ensued.