Obituary: Metropolitan Opera Celeste Player Cecilia Brauer Dies

By Francisco Salazar

Metropolitan Opera Celeste player Cecilia Brauer has died.

The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra announced the passing noting “we are saddened by the passing of one of the sweetest women ever to grace the pit. Cecilia Brauer passed away following the recent death of her brother Ray Gniewek, longtime Concertmaster of the Met Orchestra for 43 years.”

Brauer was the orchestra’s Celeste player for more than 30 years. She was also an accomplished pianist, having graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music and won numerous national awards.

Brauer performed on NPR and on soundtracks of movies such as “Interview with a Vampire.”

She performed on the Tucker Gala Concert in 2013 which marked her 90th birthday; she also appeared on the HD for “Lucia di Lammermoor” alongside Anna Anna Netrebko.

The Met Orchestra noted, “Cecilia had a full career, family, and life filled with music, and she always had the biggest smile for us all. We will miss her very much. Rest in Peace Cecilia.”

You can listen to Brauer in the following recording:

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