Adam Abeshouse’s clients joined him at his home studio for a farewell concert. Front row, from left: Joshua Bell, Adam Abeshouse, Larisa Martinez, and Kevin Puts. Second row, from left: John-Henry Crawford, Charles Yang, Peter Dugan, Lara Downes, Ranaan Meyer, Garrick Ohlsson, Jeremy Denk, Nicolas Kendall, and Simone Dinnerstein.
In Wednesday’s (10/2) National Public Radio, Tom Vitale reports, “On a recent Friday afternoon, Adam Abeshouse, one of the world’s leading producers of classical music, lay on his bed in his Westchester, N.Y., home, propped up with pillows, waiting for his pain medicine to kick in. He struggled to talk about his life’s work with a star-studded list of clients, which includes celebrity violinist Joshua Bell and pianist Garrick Ohlsson…. The 63-year-old producer’s … breathing was labored…. Last spring, Abeshouse was diagnosed with bile duct cancer….. In August, his doctors told Abeshouse he had only weeks to live. One of his clients, pianist Lara Downes, organized an at-home concert by the musicians he’d worked so closely with for decades…. Downes … said the musicians wanted to give their beloved producer a chance to share music together one final time…. The concert took place in the producer’s state-of-the-art studio, adjacent to his home. Abeshouse … sat listening in a wheelchair a few feet from the performers, flanked by friends and family. He held hands with Maria Abeshouse, his wife of 38 years…. Nearly a dozen musicians played for Adam Abeshouse. Each one embraced him after performing. At least for one afternoon, joy supplanted pain.”
