William Kincaid (flutist)

For the costume designer and artist, see William Kincaid.

William Morris Kincaid
File:William Kincaid - Medium.jpg William Kincaid in 1920 Dayton C. Miller Collection Library of Congress, Washington
Born	William Kincaid (1895-04-26)26 April 1895 Minneapolis, Minnesota
Died	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nationality	American
Known for	Flute, Teaching
Movement	American Flute School
Spouse(s)	Helen Gooding Kincaid (b. 1894, d. 1965)

William Morris "Monty" Kincaid (26 April 1895 – 27 March 1967) was an American flautist and teacher.

Early life

Kincaid was born in Minneapolis but grew up in Honolulu, where he enjoyed diving for pennies in the harbor and learned the breath control that later served him well as a professional flutist.

In 1911, Kincaid went to New York, enrolling simultaneously in Columbia University and the Institute of Musical Art, where he studied flute with Georges Barrère. He received diplomas in 1914 and 1918, and performed in the flute section of the New York Symphony from 1914 to 1919. During World War I, Kincaid served briefly in the United States Navy, after which he returned to the New York Symphony. In 1920, he played solo flute with the New York Chamber Music Society.

Philadelphia Orchestra

After Leopold Stokowski dismissed André Maquarre during a rehearsal in April 1921, Kincaid was offered the principal flute position in the Philadelphia Orchestra, which he went on to hold for 40 seasons. He retired from the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1960 at the mandatory retirement age of 65.

Curtis Institute of Music

In 1924, Kincaid was the first flute instructor at the newly established Curtis Institute of Music, where his four decades of teaching would have a profound impact on orchestral flute playing in the United States.

Grandfather of the American Flute School

William Kincaid is sometimes referred to as the Grandfather of the American Flute School. At least 40 compositions were dedicated to him, and 87% of all professional flutists living in the United States in 2003 could trace their heritage (through one or more of their teachers) to Kincaid. Among Kincaid's many students who went on to importance were: Burnett Atkinson, Julius Baker, Harold Bennett, Jacob L. Berg, Robert Cole, George Drexler, Doriot Anthony Dwyer, Lloyd Gowen, Byron Hester, Britton Johnson, John Krell, Warren Little, Paul Boyer, Joseph A. Mariano, Fernando Morrone, Emil Opava, Donald Peck, James Pellerite, Elaine Shaffer, Maurice Sharp, Kenton Terry, Albert Tipton, and Carl Woempner. Other students of note are Frances Blaisdell, Paul Lustig Dunkel, Katherine Hoover, Claire Polin, Felix Skowronek, John Solum, Mark Thomas, and Charles Wyatt. Flute pedagogues such as Julius Baker, Clement Barone, Jr., Harold Bennett, Judith Bentley, Frances Blaisdell, Doriot Dwyer, Britton Johnson, John Krell, Joseph A. Mariano, Betty Bang Mather, William Montgomery, George Ellers Morey, Jr., Donald Peck, James Pellerite, Maurice Sharp, Albert Tipton, Robert Willoughby, and John Wion have been producing students of high caliber for decades.

Platinum flute

Kincaid's instrument featured a solid platinum body and silver French-style open-hole keys. Originally created for display at the 1939 New York World's Fair, the flute was purchased afterwards by Kincaid. The headjoint sported the Trylon & Perisphere logo, symbol of the 1939 fair, engraved by Verne Q. Powell. The flute was considered so valuable that it remained under armed guard throughout the fair.

Shortly before his death in 1967, Kincaid gifted the flute to his student, Elaine Shaffer. After her own death, the flute was auctioned by Christie's in 1986. The successful bidder was noted chemist, author and art collector Stuart Pivar, who paid $187,000 for the flute. Pivar was accompanied by artist Andy Warhol the day of the auction. Today, the flute resides at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and is considered the most-expensive flute in the world.