|
|
WERNER "SIEP" SIEPENKOTHEN |
|
Werner Siepenkothen likes to go by the name of 'Siep'. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of German immigrants. At the age of seven he began to study the violin and the viola and later graduated from the New York High School of Music and Art. Siep performed with the National Orchestral Association (City Center Orchestra) and at Radio City Music Hall. He studied with Richard Dikler, principal violist with the NBC symphony under Arturo Toscanini. After graduation, Siep joined the Denver symphony. It was at this time that he met and married his wife, Jeanne, a classical cellist who performed at Warner Brothers Studios. In 1950 Siep joined the Army Band in Washington DC where he directed the Strolling Strings, a section of the Army Band which entertained dignitaries at diplomatic and White House functions. In 1959 he transferred to the Air Force and was the first member of the newly established Air Force Academy Band string section. He also began to play string bass and bass guitar and was a member of a jazz trio. In 1972 the Siepenkothens moved to Reno Nevada. This was the hey-day of casino show bands, and both Siep and Jeanne performed with many well-known performers and musicians including Frank Sinatra, Ray Price, Dolly Parton and Merle Haggard and Johnny Mathis. They also appeared with local groups such as the Reno Symphony, Reno Chamber Orchestra, and the String Beings Quartet and for several years they performed in the "Young Audiences" program, traveling to perform in schools in rural Nevada. Siep still loves performing and jazz, particularly in the style of jazz violinist Stephan Grapelli. He is a contributor on several CDs and frequently plays at local jazz clubs. |
|
