Met Orchestra member Violist Ron Arron has died.

The Met orchestra announced the news via social media and said “We are saddened to learn of the passing of violist Ron Arron. Ron was a violist in our orchestra for 20 years, after having been the assistant principal viola of the Cincinnati Symphony for 18 years. Ron was always smiling, joking, and had a kind spirit that lifted those around him and was a frequent audience member at the Met after his retirement.”

The post added, “Other groups with whom he had performed include the Arron Chamber Ensemble, with his son, cellist Edward Arron, the Berkshire Opera, the Florida Symphony, the Harmonie Ensemble, the Naumburg Orchestra and New York Pops, for which he served as principal viola, the Richmond Symphony, the Santa Fe Opera, the Stamford Symphony Orchestra, and the String Symphony Trio in Cincinnati, Ohio. He retired from the Met Orchestra in 2005, although he kept busy performing chamber music, often with Met Orchestra musicians, including principal horn Julie Landsman and concertmaster David Chan. His wife, Judith Arron, was the executive and artistic director of Carnegie Hall and passed away in 1998 at the early age of 56.”

Arron was from Chicago, Illinois, and studied with his father, Samuel Arron, who was a violin instructor. He furthered his training with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and attended Northwestern University, where he earned a B.M.E.