Education
Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Principal Double Bass at the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra, British Broadcasting Corporation Symphony Orchestra, New Philharmonia Orchestra, and finally the Philharmonia Orchestra of London. He formed the London Double Bass Ensemble in the 1980s. Drucker was offered the position of principal double bass with the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra at the age of 20.
He learned the violin as a child and switched to the double bass at 16.
In 1953 came to London to lead the section in the British Broadcasting Corporation Symphony Orchestra under Sir Malcolm Sargent. Riccardo Muti was principal conductor from 1973 to 1982.
Giuseppe Sinopoli succeeded Muti. After he left the Philharmonia, Gerald continued in music as artist director promoting amongst others Vanessa-Mae and later of Minister Jin (Violin) and Minister Jung (Piano).
He started his career as a violinist with the Boyd Neel String Orchestra at the age of 16, and was soon also playing with the Jacques Orchestra which was founded by Reginald Jacques five years previously.
At the Guildhall School of Music he studied violin, viola, French horn (with Dennis Brain) and tuba in addition to the double bass. He has appeared as soloist in concerto performances, including performances of work by Bottesini and Virgilio Mortari (including in “Bottesini’s Grand Duo for violin and Double Bass and Mortari’s double bass concerto) with the Philharmonia under Riccardo Muti at the Royal Festival Hall on 16 February 1978. Drucker was solo bass player in the Anton Chekhov film ‘Romance with a Double Bass’ released in 1974 with John Cleese as the main character.
In 1980 he formed a unique group, the London Double Bass Ensemble, comprising a nucleus of four double basses, to perform original works in concert with other instruments.
Drucker commissioned a new piece of work by the English composer Robert Simpson in 1981, Quintet for Clarinet, Bass Clarinet and String Trio (Simpson) which was performed by the London Double Bass Ensemble at Wigmore Hall that year. Gerald was succeeded by Neil Tarlton as Principal Bass at the Philharmonia Orchestra.
In the 1990s he taught Double Bass at the National Centre for Orchestral Studies Goldsmiths" College. After 50 years as a concert artist he retired in 1990 as Principal Bass and Principal Photographer of the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, to the suburbs of London.