Robert (Bobby) Routch, 75, a French hornist and a member of Local 802 since 1969, died on Aug. 5, 2024.

Mr. Routch was born into a musical family in Allentown, Pennsylvania. His father Val earned a PhD in music, and his mother Alice taught music at Muhlenberg College and had started a PhD as well. Mr. Routch’s late brother Bill was a highly-skilled flutist, and Mr. Routch himself started playing piano at the age of 2. By the age of 14, he was an accomplished French horn player and got the chance to play with the Philadelphia Symphony. Mr. Routch went on to study at Oberlin and Juilliard. His career took off when he won the principal horn chairs in the American Symphony Orchestra and the Kansas City Symphony. He later performed as a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, toured internationally as a soloist with dozens of orchestras, and appeared as a guest artist with the Guarneri, Juilliard, Tokyo, Orion and Emerson Quartets. He was a frequent collaborator with Peter Serkin and TASHI.

Mr. Routch was also an accomplished jazz musician who played with the Charles Mingus Orchestra, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and with Quincy Jones, Gerry Mulligan and Wynton Marsalis. He served on the faculty of SUNY Purchase, San Diego State University, California Institute of the Arts, the Hartt School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music.

Mr. Routch gave a charming overview of his musical life and his love of the French horn in this post published by his label, Sunnyside Records.

Aside from his music career, Mr. Routch applied for ordination through the Universal Life Church and was licensed to perform weddings. His former wife Shannon told Allegro that her husband presided over her best friend’s wedding and that “Bobby was a very deeply spiritual soul and liked to be referred to as the Right Reverend Robert Routch. He professed his ministry through his music and style.”

Besides Shannon, Mr. Routch is survived by numerous cousins (who were the children of his Uncle Wendell and Aunt Virginia).

Additionally, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center published this tribute to Robert Routch.