Jack Renner

Jack Renner
84, passed away on the 19th of June. The son of a Marine Band trumpet player, Jack had a gift for music— playing first trumpet in the local high school band at age ten. In the 1950's, a favorite uncle introduced Jack to the wire recorder and a passion was born.
Jack received the Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Ohio State University and went on to teach, conduct and perform. In 1962, while teaching high school, he began a "souvenir" recording business, producing records of high school and college concerts in the less-than-favorable acoustics of school gymnasiums and cafeterias. Those invaluable experiences honed the skills that led to the sonically stunning recordings he made in world-class venues for Telarc, the record label he formed with Bob Woods in 1977.
Jack had a precise idea of what the finished sound should be and was masterful in making the minute microphone adjustments to achieve it. He used what some deemed 'supernatural hearing' to create what he termed 'natural' sounding recordings: faithful to the dynamics and balances created by the conductor and musicians. He wanted his recordings to put the listener in "the best seat in the house". Jack's quest for the highest-quality sound had a great impact on his many students, co-engineers and producers and his influence over matters of taste and style of recorded sound continues on.
Telarc made more than 1200 hundred recordings which were recognized with more than fifty Grammy Awards by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Jack was nominated 22 times for Best Engineered Classical Album and won the award eleven times. Additionally, Messrs. Renner and Woods were honored with a Citation for Distinguished Service to the Arts in 1985.
In 1990, he was recognized as an outstanding alumnus at The Ohio State University School of Music. In 1997, the Cleveland Institute of Music where he taught audio recording for thirty years, granted him an honorary doctorate of Musical Arts, for which he was deeply appreciative. In 2004, he received the American Bandmasters Association's Edwin Franko Goldman citation for his life-long promotion of concert band music in America.
He retired from Telarc in 2006 and then went on to serve as co-chair of the Edwin Stanton Audio Recording Institute at the Aspen Musical Festival and School for four summers.
In addition to his love of classical and jazz music, he was an avid photographer and was a member of the Newport Photographers' Guild for many years. He enjoyed traveling to national parks, often staying in his Airstream camper, out before dawn to be ready for first light. He enjoyed hunting down the best diners wherever he happened to be, and always carried his own supply of pure maple syrup to insure full enjoyment of the pancakes.
Mr. Renner is survived by his wife, Barbara, and three children Elizabeth (John), Scott (Rebecca), and John (Copeland) and six grandchildren. A private burial service will be held in Ohio. Memorial service plans will be announced at a later date. In honor of Jack's lasting legacy comprising several generations of C.I.M. students and of his love for the stellar acoustic of Mechanics Hall— his favorite recording venue, tax-deductible donations can be made to the Cleveland Institute of Music, 11021 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44106 or to Mechanics Hall, c/o Kathleen Gagne, Executive Director, Mechanics Hall, 321 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01680.