Renold Schilke

Renold O. Schilke died September 5, 1982 in Arizona of kidney failure while still actively consulting for Yamaha and heading his own company. His son Renold E. Schilke and daughter Joan Schilke assumed ownership of the company and managed it until October 2002 when it was sold to Andrew Naumann, a veteran of the Getzen company.

Schilke founded a company with Philip Farkas that ultimately grew to become Schilke Music Products Incorporated, which he became sole owner of in 1956. In 1966, Yamaha Corporation hired Schilke as a consultant who, with the help of colleagues such as Elden Benge, Philip Farkas and Arnold Jacobs assisted Yamaha in bringing a new line of brass instruments to the American market.

Edward Llewellyn died in 1936; in 1937, Renold Schilke began playing in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Following the departure of Elden Benge, he became principal trumpet in 1938. He continued in that role until 1941 and continued with the orchestra until 1951, when he stepped down, remaining available on call as needed until 1962.

Renold Otto Schilke (Green Bay, June 30, 1910 – September 5, 1982) was a professional orchestral trumpet player, instrument designer and manufacturer. He founded and ran Schilke Music Products Incorporated, a manufacturer of brass instruments and mouthpieces.

Renold Schilke was born June 30, 1910 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He began playing cornet at age 8. Before his teens, he was initiated into the life of a professional musician playing for the Frank Holton Company and also learning basics of instrument manufacture, as had cornet virtuoso and instrument manufacturer Ernst Couturier before him.