Leonard Leibowitz, DILC: 1938-2011

Len Leibowitz, whose tenure as ICSOM Counsel was so long and distinguished that his name tag and table tent at ICSOM Conferences, by popular consensus, read “Leonard Leibowitz, Distinguished ICSOM Legal Counsel,” died this morning in Boca Raton, Florida. He had suffered from a string of serious health issues in recent years, but – as often happens – the final straw was apparently pneumonia.
I had the privilege and pleasure of working closely with Len during my nine years on the ICSOM Governing Board. There is much to say about his career and his contribution to the fact that thousands of musicians in the US make a decent living from playing in orchestras, and no doubt much will be written in the coming weeks by many people in many places. I’ll add my bit at some point. But it’s sufficient for now to note that his contributions to our field were immense: only a handful of people in our business have ever been as influential as he was on the union side of the table.
All those who make their livings by playing in orchestras in the US and Canada have benefited from his work.