John Philip Vance

John and Anne Schulte were married on June 21, 1997. They lived together briefly in Baltimore County until moving to Howard County to be located midway between the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s (BSO) two homes—Baltimore and Rockville. John was a trombone player with the BSO for 37 years.

The following quote from the BSO Musician Facebook page sums up John professionally: “John was an exceptionally good-natured colleague who valued his fellow musicians and what he did for a living. You could hardly have a conversation with him without both of you laughing at some point. We will never forget his jazz trombone solos delivered standing from the back of the orchestra!” Even today, brass players from his distant past remember John’s influence and outstanding musicianship while attending the University of Northern Colorado and the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY.

Prior to winning the BSO audition, John’s career led him to performing with the Xalapa Symphony Orchestra, Mexico and later with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Hawaii. Rarely a week went by without John telling stories (sometimes so often that his kids would finish them before he got to it) about the “characters” who made up the orchestra, the cuisine, and the adventures associated with those two unique destinations.

John grew up in Wheat Ridge, Colorado with his three sisters, Patricia Appel, Debbie Bonkowski, and Christine Vance, as well as his late parents Marion and John Vance. Performing and teaching music was at the center of the Vances’ family life. Music was clearly in the DNA.

John’s life had meaning in every role. He always put his family first. As the chef in the family, Anne is left with quite the challenging act to follow. John was modest and truthful. He was full of joy and as mentioned, with a helluva sense of humor. John was hard to keep up with on a hike or a mountain bike and was instrumental at planning phenomenal family vacations. During his brief retirement, he began delving into physics. (Really!)

We lost a great man at age 66. Those who counted him as a friend or performed with him were extremely lucky. His time here just wasn’t long enough.

An informal Celebration of John’s Life:

Saturday, June 15, 2024 (the day before Father’s Day)

12 noon - 3pm

Tacos + Mike’s Gelato at noon/Sharing stories 1:15pm-ish

Mary’s Land Farm, the Red Barn

4979 Sheppard Lane

Ellicott City, MD 21042

https://www.maryslandfarm.com/

Please RSVP to [email protected] by June 1, 2024

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Baltimore Symphony Musicians in Memoriam fund. Details are still forthcoming.