Rush of tributes for America’s last violin giant

Tributes are pouring on for Aaron Rosand who died last night of pneumonia, aged 92.

Stephen Waarts: ‘Thank you Mr. Rosand for your incredible influence in my life and contribution to the world of music. I feel so grateful for all the time, wisdom, and generosity you shared with me through the years.’

Robert Koenig: ‘I’m so saddened and heartbroken to hear of the passing of legendary violinist Aaron Rosand. As a young student at the Curtis Institute of Music, I was so enthralled to be working with his long list of incredible students and spent countless hours in his studio. I could never have imagined that I’d have the opportunity to perform and tour with him and will always cherish that time together. RIP, dear Maestro….You will never truly know the gift that you have given me.’

Brinton Smith: ‘One of the greatest is gone.’

Quinton Morris: ‘My mentor, former teacher and a man who inspired and challenged me to think outside the box and dared Me to be different. A legend has passed – Mr. Aaron Rosand. He was one of my confidants who insisted on me getting a lesson at his home before I played any recital at Carnegie Hall, which consisted of a coaching…followed by smoking cigars, drinking scotch and reading duos half drunk at his house. We had a bond and a very special relationship. He called me SONNY, which was followed by a cough and a chuckle by me. I will miss him dearly. Thank you, Mr. Rosand for your contributions to the music world and teaching inspiration worldwide. I will miss our phone chats immensely.’

Hugh Sung: ‘I owe this maestro more than I can put into words. He opened my ears to a whole world of artistic individualism while at the same time taking me – quite literally – around the world with performances and recordings. ‘

Kimberlee Dray: ‘oday we learned of the passing of an iconic violinist, Aaron Rosand, whose recording of the Arensky Violin Concerto I listened to in tears while sitting right next to him. He leaves an incredible legacy and I will always be grateful he took the time to encourage a Mom who really loves to play. I think that says a lot about him.’

Just listen. A hero around here, and a guardian of the flame. RIP Aaron Rosandhttps://t.co/LX5EmMg6Y8 https://t.co/LX5EmMg6Y8

— Sheppard Skaerved (@Sheppardskaerve) July 10, 2019

 

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I have some deeply saddening news to share with you. My teacher Aaron Rosand passed away last night. I learned so much from him; his pure, beautiful sound that would shimmer and cry when being drawn from the instrument; his gruff laugh that would often be accompanied by some sort of rebuke telling me that I wasn’t sustaining the line enough, or that I needed to “find my own sound”. He was tough on me, but only because he believed in me. There’s not one day that goes by when I don’t think about the things he said to me during our time lessons. I’m still learning every day thanks to you Mr Rosand. We will miss you, but your legacy lives strong in the wonderful musicians you’ve produced. Photo: Pete Checchia c. 2007 at the Curtis Institute of Music

A post shared by Ray Chen (@raychenviolin) on Jul 10, 2019 at 4:02am PDT