Irving Geller in 1973 and 1994

Irving Geller, former Associate Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and first violin with the orchestra from 1951-1999, passed away on November 16, 2011. He was 85 years old.

Mr. Geller joined the LA Phil as one of its youngest members after having served as Assistant Concertmaster of the San Antonio Symphony for three years.  He was eventually promoted to Associate Concertmaster, a position he held for nearly 25 years until the beginning of the 1994/95 winter season, when he moved back into the section and was succeeded by Bing Wang.

Prior to his professional career as a musician, he served with the United States Army in the Battle of the Bulge, earning a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in combat.

The full statement from the Los Angeles Philharmonic on Mr. Geller’s passing can be found HERE

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Photo credits:

• Screen shot from The Bolero
• Screen shot from The 3 Tenors in Concert 1994