Edward Aldwell

(This post is by Reid.)

Edward Aldwell, pianist, teacher, and theoretician, passed away this past Sunday, May 28th.

When I was a student at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia (1990-93), I had the privilege of studying music theory with Aldwell. In an institution filled with high caliber musicians and teachers, he stood out as an inspiration. He was a wonderful pianist and a musician’s musician, a champion of that absolute Truth that lies in the notes and in the sound. His playing was imbued with a deep sense of knowledge and intention. He was best known for his interpretations of the works of J. S. Bach, and I highly recommend his recordings of both books of The Well Tempered Clavier and the Goldberg Variations. The many occasions I heard him live were some of the richest experiences I have had as a listener – always deeply honest and profoundly humane.

As a teacher he brought these same qualities to the classroom along with a very dry sense of humor. He brought conceptual ideas to life with real-world examples played at the piano. Even the surliest of students had to admit that we were lucky to have him as a teacher, and for those of us who were actually interested in the subject, the knowledge imparted was invaluable. One of my fondest memories of my time at Curtis was of working with Mr. Aldwell as a chamber music coach. The piece was the “Trout” quintet by Franz Schubert. Like his approach to music in general, his approach to the “Trout” was so deeply reasoned and clear as to be undeniable. Any egos putting themselves before the music were called out in a particularly direct and funny way and his philosophy of music making resounded strongly with both my colleagues and myself.

He was well loved and his influence as an artist reaches far – farther, I think, than he could have imagined.

Here.is the NY Times obit.