On April 8th the world lost one of the great orchestral violinists, former Philadephia first violinist William DePasquale. He held many title positions in his years with the orchestra, often filling in at the last minute for some of the most difficult concertmaster solos in the repertoire. He was a thoroughly old school player in the best sense. His timing and musicianship were impeccable. But he also seemed to keep up with what the ‘kids’ were doing – playing with a cleaner, less affected style than perhaps some of his compatriots might have done. I studied with one of his brothers, Joseph, for a short time, and had the opportunity to hear William play both with and in front of the orchestra a fair amount (at that point concertmaster Norman Carol was having quite a few health problems), and he never failed to impress. He was a class act, and he will be missed.
Obituary from Philadelphia Inquirer.