| John Frank Elsass | |
| Birth Date: | 3 March 1913 |
| Birth Place: | Waynesburg, Ohio, U.S. |
| Instrument: | Cornet |
| Genre: | Concert band Orchestra |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Years Active: | 1934-1940 |
| Associated Acts: | Goldman Band |
J. Frank Elsass (March 3, 1913 – January 1, 1981) was an American cornet soloist. He was the assistant cornet soloist with the Goldman Band from 1934 to 1940.[1] [2] He was also a member of the Barre Little Symphony from 1937 to 1940.[3]
John Frank Elsass was born on March 3, 1913, in Waynesburg, Ohio, the son of John W. Elsass and Florence L. Dieringer.[4] Professionally, he went by the name "Frank Elsass".
Frank Elsass earned a master's degree in Music from New York University and a doctorate from the University of Texas. He was a student at the Ernest Williams School of Music and later served on the faculty there.[5]
In 1934, Edwin Franko Goldman discovered Frank Elsass and hired him at age 19 to be a cornet soloist in the Goldman Band, assisting Del Staigers.[1] Elsass stayed with the band through the 1940 season,[2] serving as a reliable assistant cornet soloist to Del Staigers, David Rosebrook and Leonard B. Smith (Musician), as well as a member of the famed Goldman Band cornet trio "The Three Aces".
In 1941, Frank Elsass accepted a position as a brass instructor at San Jose State College.[3] He left this position in 1942 and joined the US Navy, serving there through 1945.[5] In 1948 he accepted a position as professor of trumpet and cornet and conductor of the symphonic band at the University of Texas at Austin[5] where he remained through 1978.
American Bandmasters Association 1966
Frank Elsass died of a rare and little known disease at the age of 67 on January 1, 1981. He is interred at Sandy Valley Cemetery, Waynesburg, Ohio.