Tag: Obituary

Obituary: Helmuth Rilling, Conductor Closely Identified with Bach, 92

Posted on February 13, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Thursday’s (2/12) New York Times, David Allen writes, “Helmuth Rilling, an eloquent, widely esteemed German musician who evangelized for the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and was the first conductor to record all of that composer’s sacred cantatas, died on Wednesday in Warmbronn, Germany. He was 92…. Rilling, who worked mostly with the chorus and orchestra that he founded, the Gächinger Kantorei and Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, was initially ‘a Bach lover, not a Bach scholar,’ he said…. He recorded the vocal, orchestral and other works, from the magisterial ‘St. Matthew Passion’ down to the merest chorale settings… Rilling also helped found the Oregon Bach Festival in 1970 and served as its artistic director until 2013…. Rilling was born on May 29, 1933, in Stuttgart, Germany…. He entered the Stuttgart Hochschule für Musik in 1952, studying organ and violin … He recorded other classical works and promoted contemporary composers, too. Liszt’s ‘Christus,’ Franck’s ‘Les Béatitudes’ and Honegger’s ‘Jean d’Arc au Bûcher’ were among his more adventurous releases … For the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death in 2000, he commissioned and premiered settings of the Passion story by Wolfgang Rihm, Sofia Gubaidulina, Osvaldo Golijov and Tan Dun. His Oregon Bach Festival recording of Krzysztof Penderecki’s ‘Credo’ (another of Mr. Rilling’s commissions) won the Grammy for best choral performance in 2000.”

Obituary: Isaiah Allen Jackson III, Former Music Director at Dayton Philharmonic with an International Career, 80

Posted on January 13, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Thursday’s (1/8) Dayton Daily News (Ohio), Greg Lynch writes, “Isaiah Allen Jackson III, the first Black music director of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, has died, his family said. He was 80. Jackson, who died in Oakland, California on Dec. 24, enjoyed a distinguished national and international career, serving in several principal conductor and music director roles, along with many years spent teaching at various universities and music schools. Jackson was born in Richmond, Virginia … At age 14, he decided he wanted to be a conductor. Jackson graduated cum laude from Harvard in 1966 with a focus on Russian history and literature, earned an M.A. in music from Stanford in 1969 and completed a degree at Juilliard School in 1973. Jackson was already a rising star on the international stage by the time he became the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra conductor and music director starting with the 1987-88 season…. Jackson worked to bridge a racial divide in classical music. ‘Classical music is a part of one’s birthright as a citizen of the world,’ he said…. ‘If for whatever reason people are cut off from that, … it’s our job to meet them more than halfway.’ Jackson’s tenure with the Dayton orchestra ended after the 1994-1995 season…. Jackson was also the music director of the Royal Ballet in London. He guest conducted several orchestras around the world … Jackson was an Artist-in-Residence at the University of Dayton, where he taught Philosophy of Music. Jackson also taught at the Berklee College of Music for over 15 years.”

Obituary: Gary Graffman, Pianist, Influential Educator, President of Curtis Institute of Music, 97

Posted on January 5, 2026 by - News Briefs

In last Sunday’s (12/28) Philadelphia Inquirer, David Patrick Stearns writes, “While the classical music world knew Gary Graffman as a distinguished visiting concert pianist, Philadelphia was his launching pad and artistic home over roughly eight decades. He was both a student and president at the Curtis Institute of Music, nurturing young talents to international fame before his death on Saturday in New York. He was 97…. The New York City-born pianist arrived at Curtis at age 7. He graduated at age 17 and played roughly 100 concerts a year between the ages of 20 and 50 before retiring from touring due to a compromised right hand. Diagnosed with focal dystonia (a neurological disorder), he went on to premiere works for the left hand by Jennifer Higdon and William Bolcom. Mr. Graffman returned to Curtis as a teacher in 1980, became director in 1986, and the president of the conservatory in 1995, with a teaching studio encompassing nearly 50 students, including Yuja Wang and Lang Lang among others…. Graffman had a top-of-the-line career. He recorded much of the romantic-era piano literature … with some of the great orchestras of the United States…. Curtis thrived during Mr. Graffman’s tenure…. In 2019, violinist Lara St. John came forward with reports of faculty rape during her mid-1980s student years at Curtis. Investigations concluded that Mr. Graffman had failed to take appropriate action on her reports of sexual assault…. No doubt, Mr. Graffman will be most remembered as a pianist…. [He] played with a deep respect for the letter of the score.”

How Architect Frank Gehry Changed the Way We Listen to Music

Posted on December 8, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Friday’s (12/5) Los Angeles Times, Mark Swed writes an appreciation of architect Frank Gehry, who died on December 5 at age 96. “Walt Disney Concert Hall, which was built for and by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and opened in 2003 was, of course, his crowning achievement…. Disney is the most spectacular example of what Gehry’s halls have meant for music. But every one has made a huge difference to the art form, to music and musicians and audiences, to our youth and to our institutions. His buildings are meant for imagination while amplifying tradition. They guide us to the next step…. Disney, with stunning acoustics, proved both a place of modernity for a new millennium and one of the world’s most acoustically engaging venues. It is very new and very traditional … His hall at Bard College became a venue for the most imaginative summer music festival in country. Education … has been at the heart of Gehry’s musical activities … He turned an abandoned bank and burger joint into the celebrated Beckmen YOLA Center in Inglewood … The Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin was his gift to Daniel Barenboim’s West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, bringing together young musicians from Israel and Arab countries. Gehry’s latest musical masterpiece, the 1,000-seat Colburn Center, is currently going up across the street from Disney…. The revolution Gehry began in creating spaces where music can be made and re-imagined and brought to life in ever new ways has caught on.”

Obituary: Orchestra Executive Mary A. Deissler, 69

Posted on November 13, 2025 by - News Briefs

An obituary at Folsom Funeral Service (Massachusetts), states, “Mary Deissler, age 69, passed away peacefully on Monday, November 3, 2025, after a long and hard-fought battle with brain cancer. Born on December 30,1955, in Oneonta, New York, to George and Carol Baker, Mary was the eldest of her siblings … She married James Deissler in 1987, and they raised their children, Benjamin and Eliza, in Boston, Massachusetts. A lifelong believer in the power of the arts to build community and inspire connection, Mary devoted 40+ years of leadership and raised $300M+ in the nonprofit and performing arts sectors…. As CEO of Boston’s Handel + Haydn Society … she worked for nearly 25 years. Under her leadership, the organization achieved financial stability, artistic excellence, innovation and community outreach.… Mary also served as President and CEO of the Charlotte Symphony from 2016 to 2019, where she eliminated a $1.9M debt, achieved record surpluses, and expanded the orchestra’s community partnerships, educational outreach, and equity initiatives… Earlier roles included leadership and development positions with Save the Children in London, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Artis–Naples, and the Chicago Academy for the Arts. Most recently, she served as Co-Executive Director of the Boston Landmarks Orchestra … She was an active participant, board member and trustee to … organizations such as the League of American Orchestras, Chorus America, Early Music America, Chanticleer, [and] Handel House Museum.”

Remembering: Polly Kahn

Posted on October 24, 2025 by - News Briefs

On October 14, Polly Kahn, a dynamic and influential figure in the orchestra field, passed away after a brief illness. She was 77 years old.

Polly Kahn was the Vice President for Learning and Leadership Development at the League of American Orchestras for 14 years, stepping down in 2014. Her impact and contributions to orchestras were widespread, prescient, and enduring. She was a tireless champion of orchestras and the music they play, with an ardent commitment to developing the next generation of musicians; connecting with communities in authentic, ongoing ways; encouraging the creation and performance of new music, and welcoming more diverse musicians, composers, staff and board members, and audiences to orchestras.

The League of American Orchestras sends its profound condolences to her daughter Sara Newland, son-in-law Devin, and grandchildren Milo and Hazel.

At the League, Kahn oversaw artistic, learning, and leadership development programs and services. Her portfolio included the Orchestra Leadership Academy, Orchestra Management Fellowship, Executive Leadership, and Emerging Leaders Programs, the League’s annual National Conference, Getty and Bank of America Education and Community Investment Grants, Governance Grants, Bruno Walter National Conductor Previews, Music Alive new music program, constituent services, and programs for orchestra executives, board members, and conductors, as well as online learning and self-assessment tools for orchestras. She was also the primary liaison for education directors of the League’s member orchestras.

All that reads like an enormous job description—and it was—but Kahn embraced every aspect of her multifaceted work with enthusiasm, drive, discipline (Kahn was a meticulous organizer of detail), and a we’re-all-in-this-together spirit. The people who participated in the League’s professional development and other programs during Kahn’s tenure number in the hundreds; many have forged outstanding careers at orchestras, performing arts centers, and ensembles nationwide. Everyone who attended a League Conference soon realized that she knew virtually everyone in the orchestra field.

Prior to the League, Kahn was Director of Education for the New York Philharmonic, the Tisch Center for the Arts at the 92nd Street Y, assistant director of the Lincoln Center Institute, and founding administrator of the Avery Fisher Artist Program. After stepping down from the League, she founded PK Art Solutions/PK Orchestra Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, organizational assessment and program design, and executive coaching. The firm quickly drew clients including Lincoln Center Education, Carnegie Hall, the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Philadelphia Orchestra, along with orchestras and conservatories nationwide. She was also a self-described “passionate avocational cellist, playing chamber music primarily.”

Simon Woods, President and CEO of the League of American Orchestras, states:

“All of us who knew Polly—at the League and beyond—are devastated by her loss. I first met Polly back in 2001, when she hired me to teach one of the League’s artistic administration programs. She not only believed in me as a teacher, but she gave me thoughtful and graceful feedback to help me succeed. I later learned that this was typical. Polly cared deeply for the people who work in orchestras, and she invested tirelessly in nurturing the leaders of the future who could continue to help our field thrive. She set the tone for the League’s leadership development programs that continues to this day, and was a loyal friend to so many within our organization and beyond. We will miss her.”

When she stepped down from the League of American Orchestras in 2014, Symphony magazine published her “Making a Difference” article. The article was a wide-ranging overview of her perspectives, insights, suggestions—never prescriptions—for the orchestra field, with a vision of orchestras as richly diverse and inclusive, deeply connected to their communities, and playing at the highest level of artistry. The article shows a rare foresight: many of the philosophies and strategies that Kahn outlined a decade ago were unusual or even provocative at the time, but are now widely practiced. Kahn’s keen mind, always with the best interests of orchestras at heart, will be missed by the entire field.

Obituary: Shirley Morgenstern, Co-founder and CEO of Cleveland Pops, 79

Posted on October 16, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Tuesday’s (10/14) Cleveland.com, Peter Chakerian writes, “As president and CEO of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Shirley Morgenstern transformed a shared vision with her husband, conductor Carl Topilow, into one of Northeast Ohio’s most beloved musical institutions. Morgenstern died Saturday at home. She was 79. Topilow shared the news Sunday night on social media…. A business entrepreneur with an artistic background, Morgenstern’s career spanned dance, education, business and community leadership…. She founded Morgenstern Dance Studio, served as a master class instructor and speaker, and worked as a promotions consultant for several organizations…. A lifetime board member of the Beachwood Chamber of Commerce, she co-chaired its business show for many years. In 1996, Morgenstern and Topilow founded the Cleveland Pops Orchestra. Under her leadership, the Pops grew into a cultural mainstay … The organization expanded its subscription season to six concerts and established popular holiday traditions. Morgenstern spearheaded several key initiatives, including the ‘Actual Music’ education program, the creation of the 65-voice Cleveland Pops Chorus and the Cleveland Pops Youth Orchestra. Her ability to combine artistic vision with business strategy helped the Pops flourish for 30 years. Beyond her work with the orchestra, Morgenstern was a board member of … a Cleveland organization fighting human trafficking.” She is survived by Carl Topilow and several children and grandchildren.

Obituary: Cristian Ganicenco, Principal Trombone at Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, 58

Posted on October 9, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Wednesday’s (9/8) Musical America, Sarah Shay writes, “Cristian Ganicenco, principal trombone and a member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) since 1999, died on Oct. 2 after a long battle with cancer. He was 58. A native of Iasi, Romania, he studied there and in Bucharest before emigrating to the U.S. and pursuing his musical education at Carnegie Mellon and Rutgers University. He joined the CSO when he was only 22 and debuted as a soloist with his performance of Paul Creston’s Fantasy for Trombone and Orchestra in 2003. Throughout his career in Cincinnati, he frequently recorded, composed original works, and co-founded ensembles such as FG Brass. He took special pride in his solo album Beyond Oblivion and recent digital projects featuring layered, multi-track performances. His colleagues remember Ganicenco for his impeccably prepared, elegant playing that was refined, expressive, and lyrical. Those who knew him personally appreciated his unique combination of humility, candor, and joy, his sharp sense of humor and distinctive laugh, and the deep care he expressed for those around him…. In a statement announcing his death, the orchestra said: ‘Through music, we will continue to honor his memory, for it was in music that he found, and gave, so much of himself.’ ”

Obituary: David C. Stabler, Longtime Oregon Classical Music Critic, 72

Posted on September 24, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Sunday’s (9/21) Oregonian (Portland, Oregon), Noelle Crombie writes, “David C. Stabler, who served as The Oregonian’s classical music critic and arts reporter for nearly 30 years, died Sept. 17. He was 72. The cause was acute myeloid leukemia, according to his brother, Martin Stabler … Stabler’s 2003 story on a teenage musical prodigy was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize…. Stabler and his brother were raised in Middletown, Connecticut, the sons of a Wesleyan University professor and a homemaker. Stabler held degrees in piano performance from the University of Western Ontario and the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York…. Stabler started his journalism career as a music critic in 1981 at the Anchorage Daily News and in the mid-1980s, he and his wife, Judith, a gifted opera singer, moved to Portland, where Stabler worked as The Oregonian’s classical music critic…. ‘I listened to orchestras, singers, violinists, cellists and more pianists than I can count,’ he wrote. ‘I interviewed composers and performers, conductors, designers and opera directors. The variety, not to mention the newspaper’s deadlines, kept me on my toes and pushed me far beyond my conservatory training.’… Stabler, who lived in Southeast Portland, is survived by his three children; Judith Stabler died in 2021.”

Obituary: Robert Franz, Music Director of Windsor Symphony, Boise Baroque Orchestra, and More, 57

Posted on September 9, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Wednesday’s (9/3) Classic 107 (Winnipeg, Canada), Chris Wolf writes, “The Windsor Symphony Orchestra (WSO) and the wider Windsor-Essex arts community are mourning the loss of Maestro Robert Franz, who died September 2 after a courageous battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was 57. Franz, who served as music director of the WSO since 2013, was known as much for his … infectious energy as for his artistry at the podium…. Under Franz’s 13-year leadership, the WSO flourished … He spearheaded innovative digital concert series, championed music by underrepresented composers, and created online initiatives like his ‘Read Aloud Series’ for children … His commitment to music education and outreach was central.” Early in his career, Franz participated in the 1997 League of American Orchestras’ Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview. “Franz … served as artistic director of the Boise Baroque Orchestra and music director of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra, in addition to previous roles with the Houston Symphony, Boise Philharmonic, Mansfield Symphony, and others. His guest conducting appearances included collaborations with the Cleveland Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and international ensembles … He founded the Idaho Orchestra Institute, co-created acclaimed youth programs … His efforts earned him multiple honours, including the Windsor Endowment for the Arts’ Arts Leadership Award and the Houston Symphony’s Raphael Fliegel Award for Visionary Leadership…. He is survived by his husband, Brandon Atkins, and their three daughters.”