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THE
FEBRUARY 21, 1925
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Henton-Knecht Co., of Philadelphia,
Finishes Appointments of Studios
Rooms Furnished in Period Styles for Instruction of Student-Purchasers—New King Trombone
Introduced—Radio Line for Buehn—Ridge Music Shop Expands—Witlin at Starr Plant
PHILADELPHIA, PA., February 17.—With already installed these radios in several of the
the salesrooms and warehouses fairly well local and up-state music dealers' stores already
cleaned of all hangovers, discontinued styles and patrons of the firm and long listed among the
makes and other grades of instruments which Victor dealers.
were disposed of in the recent weeks of post-
Curtis Institute Expands
inventory sales the dealers are now settling
Having just completed its first term and en-
down to the resting period customary with the tering into its second, the Curtis Institute of
advent of the Lenten season.
Music, founded through the endowment of sev-
Dealers in the high-grade instruments are eral millions of dollars by Cyrus H. K. Curtis,
more active than those catering to the general of the Curtis Publishing Co., announce that
public, although here, too, there was a tendency there will be opened several new departments
to react to the approaching Lenten dullness in and including a school for clarinet, trumpet,
the trade. Then the absence from the city of cornet and trombone under Daniel Bonade, of
the social classes who make the Winter resorts the Philadelphia Orchestra, Sol Cohen and
their abode in these February days has had its Gardell Simons, with students listed from as far
effect in bringing about a lessening of demand away as Alaska and California. The new de-
partments will use the instruments of the well-
for the better grades of instruments.
known manufacturers of band and brass musical
New Studios for Knecht Co.
Extensive improvements in the way of furni- products in their instruction classes. There are
ture and draperies and other decorative sur- now installed in the Curtis Institute forty-nine
roundings have been made to the novel and at- Steinway pianos purchased through the local
tractive salesrooms and studios of the Henton- distributors, the N. Stetson Co., 1111 Chestnut
Knecht Co., 110 South Seventeenth street. The street.
Ridge Music Shop Again Expands
various studios on the upper floors of the re-
Having purchased the entire stock of talking
cently purchased quarters have all been fur-
nished in period styles with draperies to har- machines and records carried by the George B.
monize with the furnishings, each being de- Davis Co., in its Victor department, at the store
voted to the instruction of student purchasers 5207 Market street, the Ridge Music Store, 1806
of brass and string instruments from the store Ridge avenue, has removed these instruments
stocks of the Henton-Knecht Co. The firm is to its own property and will conduct a Vic-
introducing the new model Conn Flute in a trola department in conjunction with the Bruns-
special drive on this instrument. There has wick, Vocalion and Columbia phonographs and
been a fast growing demand for flutes from records. The Ridge Music Shop recently took
the stocks of the firm, and this instrument to over the Girard Music Shop and consolidated
all appearance is again coming back into pop- it with the Ridge Shop, having bought out the
ular favor. The Henton-Knecht Co. has had former owner, L. H. Silnutzer, of 609 Girard
the largest demand for flutes during the past avenue. The firm dealt in sheet music, instru-
three months, sales in that period having been ments and accessories. After modernizing and
greater than those of the past four years. With remodeling the Ridge Shop there was developed
the growing favor of the flute in this section the consolidated business and the expansion into
the company has been very successful in intro- new lines. The present proprietors are John
ducing the new Conn Model to the dealers and Meyer Sorkin, who have been engaged in
throughout the territory for which it is local the music trade at the Ridge avenue address
distributor, and including Philadelphia, South for more than five years. With the sale of the
Jersey, Delaware and part of Maryland. H. Victor stocks to the Sorkin interests the Davis
Benne Henton recently gave a saxophone radio Co. will retire from the music trade, confining
concert in Chickering Hall in New York, broad- its business to the sales of kodaks and photo-
graph supplies at the Lancaster avenue store.
casting from station WOR.
Ben Witlin Visits Starr Factories
Introduces New King Trombone
Ben Witlin, of the Witlin Musical Instrument
Much praise has been sounded by the local
trade over the newly introduced King Trom- Co., who has returned from his trip to the Starr
bone which has been distributed to the Phila- Piano Factories at Richmond, Ind., reports that
delphia dealers and musicians through Silas E. the plant is oversold on its February orders for
Hummel, 1429 Arch street, Quaker City repre- the popular-priced players, and the forces are
sentative of the King Band Instrument Co., employed on overtime in an effort to catch up
manufacturer of drums, trombones, clarinets, on production to meet the demands on these
trumpets and cornets. The new trombone is a and the other Starr pianos in like grades. The
vastly improved type with no tuning slide at the Witlin Co., as local distributor for the Starr
top and made in a single solid piece of metal. pianos, has enjoyed a good season for the in-
The tuning device is concealed within the slide struments in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton
and thus adds to the general appearance of the and Pottsville, where Mr. Witlin toured before
instrument, developing a more attractive type of returning to headquarters.
trombone. The head of the Hummel firm long
has been identified with the musical trade of
Philadelphia and with its professional life as
well as having for many years been head of the
City Band and identified with prominent musical
organizations and public affairs. As representa- Canadian Manufacturers and Representatives of
the Knabe and Chickering Pianos and Ampico
tive of the King Band Instrument Co. he covers
Hold Annual Meeting
the Philadelphia and eastern Pennsylvania and
southern New Jersey trade coming under the
MONTREAL, QUE., February 14.—At the annual
territorial distribution.
meeting of the stockholders of Willis & Co.,
Radio Line for Buehn Co.
The Louis Buehn Co., wholesale distributor Ltd., of this city, held this week, an excellent
of the Victor talking machines, 835 Arch street, report was made regarding business progress
has taken over the distribution of the Thomp- during the year, it being stated that the big
son Neutrodyne Radio sets. The company has plant of the company had been running at full
Willis & Co., Montreal,
Report Successful Year
Quality
ONKBENCH
5
time throughout the twelve months. As is its
usual custom the company paid substantial
bonuses to the members of its organization.
In addition to manufacturing Willis pianos,
the company has for many years represented
the product of Knabe & Co., and Chickering &
Sons, in Canada, and have also featured the Am-
pico very successfully. At the annual meeting
it was stated that Willis & Co. were working
on the production of a new parlor grand, with
the ambition of developing the best instrument
of its kind in the Canadian market.
Before the conclusion of the meeting officers
and directors were re-elected as follows: Presi-
dent, A. P. Willis; vice-president, Robert A.
Willis; secretary, W. D. Willis; treasurer, G. L.
Duncan. Directors: C. D. Harrison, A. S.
Benoit, F. G. Sharpe and A. Desjardins.
Anniversary Concert for
Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler
Music Lovers of Chicago Plan Elaborate Con-
cert to Mark Fiftieth Anniversary of Noted
Pianist's First Public Appearance
CHICAGO, III., February 16.—Plans have been
completed for an elaborate concert to be given
at Orchestra Hall, this city, on the evening of
February 25, in celebration of the fiftieth anni-
versary of Mme. Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler, as
Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler
a concert pianist, she having made her first pub-
lic appearance at a concert of the Beethoven
Society here on February 26, 1875.
Mme. Bloomfield Zeisler will appear as soloist
at the anniversary concert, for which the or-
chestra has made only a nominal charge, all else
being free. The proceeds of the concert, which
are expected to amount to at least $6,000, will
be augmented by private subscription to create
the Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler fund, to be man-
aged by the United Charities, for the exclusive
benefit of needy musicians. The Orchestral As-
sociation, Musicians Club of Women, Society of
American Musicians, and the Civic Music Asso-
ciation, are co-operating to make the anniver-
sary concert a success.
In addition to numbers by Mme. Bloomfield
Zeisler, the program will also include numbers
played by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra,
under the baton of Frederick Stock.
The concert will be preceded by a luncheon
tendered Mme. Bloomfield Zeisler by the Arts
Club, at its rooms, and on February 27 she will
be the guest of honor at an anniversary dinner
given by prominent Chicago music lovers, in
the ballroom of the Drake Hotel,
The interest shown in the affair is indicated
by the number of messages of congratulation
that are pouring in on Mme. Bloomfield Zeisler.
Many friends have also sent floral tributes, and
it is expected that many more will follow.
Quality