Cellist Lynn Harrell Dies at 76

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that Cellist Lynn Harrell has died at age 76. His wife, violinist Helen Nightengale, announced the news on social media. She did not disclose the cause of his death. His death was "unexpected" according to a statement provided by Columbia Artists.

"You were an end of an era, Dear Lynn, and will be missed more than you will ever know," Nightengale wrote in the post.

Harrell made his recital debut in New York in 1971. A year later her played at Lincoln Center with the Chamber Music Society.

Harrell was a frequent guest of many leading orchestras including Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, and the National Symphony. In Europe he partners with the orchestras of London, Munich, Berlin, Tonhalle and Israel. He has also toured extensively to Australia and New Zealand as well as the Far East, including Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. He regularly collaborates with such noted conductors as James Levine, Sir Neville Marriner, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, André Previn, Sir Simon Rattle, Leonard Slatkin, Yuri Temirkanov, Michael Tilson Thomas and David Zinman.

Highlights from an extensive discography of more than 30 recordings include the complete Bach Cello Suites (London/Decca), the world-premiere recording of Victor Herbert's Cello Concerto No. 1 with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields led by Marriner (London/Decca), the Walton Concerto with Rattle and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (EMI), and the Donald Erb Concerto with Slatkin and the Saint Louis Symphony (New World). Together with Itzhak Perlman and Vladimir Ashkenazy, Mr. Harrell was awarded two Grammy Awards - in 1981 for the Tchaikovsky Piano Trio and in 1987 for the complete Beethoven Piano Trios (both Angel/EMI). A recording of the Schubert Trios with Mr. Ashkenazy and Pinchas Zukerman (London/Decca) was released in February 2000. His May 2000 recording with Kennedy, "Duos for Violin & Cello," received unanimous critical acclaim (EMI). Most recently, Mr. Harrell recorded Tchaikovsky's Variations for Cello and Orchestra on a Rococo Theme, Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 2, and Prokofiev's Sinfonia Concertante with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Gerard Schwarz conducting (Classico).

In 1971, Harrell began his teaching career at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. He later taught at the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Aspen Music Festival, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Juilliard School.

Harrell served as the Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute from 1988-1992. From 1986-1993, he was the "Gregor Piatigorsky Endowed Chair in Violoncello" at the USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles. Harrell was also on the faculty of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University from 2002 to 2009.

From 1985-1993, Harrell held the International Chair for Cello Studies at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London and in 1993 he became Principal of the RAM, a post he held until 1995.

Harrell appeared at the Vatican with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for a concert in April of 1994. The audience for the concert, which was conducted by Gilbert Levine to commemorate the Shoah, included Pope John Paul II and the Chief Rabbi of Rome.

The Lynn Harrell Concerto Competition was established in Harrell's honor in 2001 by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The competition is open to young string players and pianists, between the ages of 8 and 18, who reside in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

In 2002, Harrell married violinist Helen Nightengale, a former student. Harrell and Nightengale founded HEARTbeats, which helps children in need use the power of music to help cope with hardships due to poverty and conflict.