He was one of the world's most famous and most accomplished classical clarinet players for most of the second half of the 20th century.
[1] Gigliotti grew up in South Philadelphia and lived in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
[2] He joined the Philadelphia Orchestra as its principal clarinetist in 1949 and continued in this position for 47 years.
[1] During his tenure with the orchestra, Gigliotti was a founding member of the Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet, and appeared on a television program called "200 Years of Woodwinds", performing with the quintet and interviewing guests such as Samuel Barber and Marcel Tabuteau.
Maintaining a heavy teaching and recording schedule upon his 1996 retirement, Gigliotti died on December 3, 2001, at a hospital in Camden, New Jersey.