JAVS Spring 2013

I N M EMORIAM

we were both college students at SuNy Purchase where we both studied with Heidi Castleman. I remember spending part of an afternoon in the dor mitory just listening to her practicing Hindemith’s Der Schwanendreher and marveling that the piece could sound so easy and beautiful. Mary Ruth and violinist Judith Eissenberg (also a Castleman Quartet Program alumna) co-founded the Lydian Quartet and joined the Brandeis university faculty in 1980. The quartet spent decades teaching at Brandeis and during that time built a large discography of both standard repertoire as well as contemporary American works. In 1984 they were awarded the prestigious Naumburg Chamber Music Award. Mary Ruth was made chair of the music department at Brandeis in 2005. In 1977 Mary Ruth became a member of Emmanuel Music, led by Craig Smith. The group was renowned for its complete cycles of Bach’s cantatas as well as chamber music by Debussy, Brahms, Schubert, and Schoenberg. Mary Ruth Ray will be held in the hearts of all she touched with her warm personality and her irre sistibly beautiful viola playing and musicianship.

— Allyson Dawkins, Principal Viola, San Antonio Symphony

Mary Ruth Ray (photo courtesy of Brandeis University Photographer Mike Lovett)

Mary Ruth Ray (1956–2013) On January 29, 2013, esteemed violist Mary Ruth Ray died after a long battle with cancer. I first met Mary Ruth at the Castleman Quartet Program where we were both students. She was a mere teenager, and I was in my early twenties. She became a viola hero to me immediately as I was drawn to her gorgeous dark tone and her impeccably clean technique. Later

V OLuME 29 NuMBER 1 7