Smithtown lost a legend on Monday evening. On November 28, 2016 the Music Man, Lawrence Sobol passed away after a brutal fight with pancreatic Cancer. For more than 33 years, Larry Sobol inspired budding musicians at Smithtown School District. But he will be remembered as so much more. To his students, he was an animated symphonic conductor with a zestful style, unforgettable to all who made his acquaintance. To the music industry Larry Sobol was a legend in his own right, performing alongside some of the 20th century’s greatest musicians and composers, like singer-songwriter and guitarist, Richie Havens.  

Sobol is considered a revolutionary in the world of music and may go down in history as the only clarinetist to impact both the classical and pop music industries. He is remembered by The New York Times as “an intrepid musical explorer,” who studied with clarinet Icons; Harold Wright, Ignatius Gennusa, David Weber, Herbert Blayman and Rudolph Jettel. His accolades as a Clarinetist include acclaimed performances like the historic 1969 Woodstock Music Festival, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. In addition to his performances Larry Sobol was given the MTV/VH-1 Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. He made it a point to pass down his talent and technique, publishing his pedagogy in Serve the Music, a unique collection of advanced Clarinet exercises, biographies, personal stories and musical examples. His career throughout a lifetime included performance collaborations with music giants such as Jessye Norman,  Luciano Pavarotti, Judith Raskin, Richard Tucker and William Warfield. Sobol and the Smithtown Friends of Music commissioned original music for the School Districts Music Department by American composer Alan Hovhaness, in addition to his composition collaborations with David Diamond and Karel Husa.

While the world will remember Larry Sobol as a flawless performer, the thousands of Smithtown Alumni will remember “Mr Sobol” for the individual impact he had on us all. Because of his impact on so many, Smithtown Today is proud to present a special Tribute page, where we will continue to update the stories from his previous students, that will live on as long the internet does