The Buffalo Philharmonic family and I are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of our beloved violinist Marylouise Nanna this week. Marylouise grew up in Buffalo in a family of musicians, and she joined the BPO in 1966. She was one of the most well known members of the orchestra- not only for her presence in the first violin section- but for her extraordinary work as a conductor and the founder of Ars Nova musicians. Her concerts often featured BPO members and their families, and were extremely popular.
Composers grow middle names to protect themselves against rivals of similar plumage. There were so many Bachs around in JS’s time that he was mostly known as Sebastian to ward off all the useless Johanns.
The indispensable Ray Roberts, Glenn Gould’s closest associate in his last decade, has died of cancer. It was Roberts whom Gould called when he suffered a stroke in 1982 and he who drove Gould to hospital where he died.
From the Lebanese National Conservatoire:
With a heavy heart, we are sorry to inform you all that our beloved Conservatory’s President Bassam Saba passed away at 11:40am Beirut time due to COVID complications.
Bassam Saba was a multi-instrumentalist who worked with Yo-Yo Ma, Kristjan Järvi, Sting, Alicia Keys, Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones. He was an outstanding educator in Middle Eastern music.
He’s indisposed, it says.
Piotr Beczala will jump in for Nessun Dorma.
Il tenore Jonas Kaufmann ci ha comunicato che, con suo grande rammarico, a causa di indisposizione non potrà prendere parte alla Serata del 7 dicembre “… a riveder le stelle”.
L’aria “Nessun dorma” da Turandot sarà cantata da Piotr Beczała.
Kaufmann has been singing this week at the Teatre San Carlo in Naples and is scheduled to continue there.
The Take Five man was born on December 6, 1920.
His mother was English, a pupil of Myra Hess.
Brubeck, who grew up on a California ranch, studied with Darius Milhaud, a French composer who adored trad jazz.
