Puerto Rican soprano Yali-Marie Williams has passed away at the age of 45. In a statement from her husband Arturo said, “Yali would want me to let you know that after 14 months of giving a hell of a fight against pancreatic cancer, even though her spirit was into it, her body couldn’t take it any longer. She spread her {…}
On Sept. 7, 2021 librettist, translator, and pianist Amanda Holden died at the age of 73. Born in London, on Jan. 19, 1948, Holden’s father, Sir Brian Warren, was a highly civilized man with a great love for music and flowers. Her mother, Josephine Barnes, was a distinguished gynecologist and outspoken campaigner for women’s health who was later made a {…}
New Zealand baritone Barry Mora has died at the age of 81. Born in Palmerston North, Mora went to Taikorea School and then on to Palmerston North Boys’ High, where his musical interests began. In 1971, He then began his career in New Zealand as Valentin in “Faust.” From there, he studied in London with Otakar Kraus and John Matthews {…}
On Oct. 21, 2021, conductor Bernard Haitink died at the age of 92. The conductor died peacefully at home with his wife and family. Born in Amsterdam, Haitink was the son of Willem Haitink, a civil servant who was to become director of the Amsterdam electricity board, and Anna Clara Verschaffelt, who worked for Alliance Française. He went on to study {…}
Glyndebourne has announced that Emma Kerr, a member of the company’s chorus, has died. Born in Edinburgh in 1987, the mezzo-soprano was named Scottish Opera Emerging Artist between 2015-17, was a Samling Artist in 2016 and won the Audience Prize in the Peter Hulsen Orchestra Song Award in 2017. In 2013, she joined the Glyndebourne Chorus and in 2015, she {…}
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 {…}
(Credit: Courtesy of the Bayerische Staatsoper) Slovak-born coloratura soprano Edita Gruberová has died at the age of 74 on Oct. 18, 2021, in Zurich. According to Hilbert Artists Management, the soprano died of an accidental head injury. Born in Rača, Bratislava on Dec. 23, 1946, Gruberová began her musical studies at the Bratislava Conservatory and studied under Mária Medvecká. She {…}
(Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Macarrones) Composer Luis De Pablo passed away on October 10 at the age of 91. He was a Basque avant-garde composer, an important member of the well-known Vanguardia de la Música Española and the main exponent of what was called Generación del 51. The Bilbao native created the first electroacoustic music laboratory in Spain and composed {…}
On Sept. 28, 2021, soprano Karan Armstrong died at the age of 79 in Marbella, Spain. Born in Havre, Montana on Dec. 14, 1941, Armstrong originally trained as a pianist and graduated with a Bachelor of Music from Concordia College in 1963. She went on to study with Lotte Lehmann in Santa Barbara, California, and made her operatic debut in {…}
(Credit: Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera) On. Oct. 1, 2021, former Metropolitan Opera Orchestra concertmaster Raymond Gniewek died at the age of 89. Born in East Meadow, New York on Nov. 13, 1931, he began his musical education in New York City. He would later study at Eastman School of Music under Andre de Ribaupierre and Joseph Knitzer. He became {…}
On Sept. 30, 2021, Music Director and pianist Miah Im passed away due to cancer at the age of 47. Born in Toronto, Canada, on Jan. 19, 1974, Im studied at the University of Michigan, where she received her undergraduate degree in piano performance and her master of music degree in collaborative piano and chamber music. During her career, she {…}