Noted quartet leader dies at 56

We have been notified of the sad death of the US-Canadian violinist Geoff Nuttall of pancreatic cancer. He was 56.

Geoff was founding leader of the St. Lawrence String Quartet, director of chamber music at Spoleto Festival USA and a Stanford University faculty member since 1998. He was deeply respected, admired, and an inspirational presence in chamber music.

His quartet partners have issued this statement to Slipped Disc:
With utmost sadness, today we said goodbye to our friend and colleague Geoff Nuttall. He died at age 56 with his wife Livia at his side. Geoff was an inspired artist whose loyalty to his chosen passions and people was legendary. He fought cancer as he lived his life, brimming with optimism and tirelessly showing up for the things he loved the most: spending time with his wife Livia and playing sports with his boys; collecting vinyl LP’s, building objects with his hands, and sharing the pleasures of analog experiences of all kinds; nurturing native plants and gardening; and seeking in the string quartet an ever more expansive universe of human expression. Geoff had an energetic and spiritual connection to music that rubbed off on anyone lucky enough to witness him play. He constantly inspired us to heights we never dreamed of. In his home bases here at Stanford University; at the Spoleto USA Festival in Charleston, SC; in Canada and in many other places around the world, he touched countless lives through his performances, teaching, advocacy and friendship. We will miss him every single day, but feel immensely grateful to have been his fellow traveler.

—The St. Lawrence String Quartet

Owen Dalby, Lesley Robertson, Christopher Costanza

Geoff is survived by his wife, the violinist Livia Sohn, and their two sons, Jack and Ellis.

More tributes here.

photo: Marco Borggreve