The cellist and conductor was artistic director of the Washington Square Music Festival for over 20 years
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Cellist Ludwig (Lutz) Rath died on 7 November 2023, aged 78. He had been living with cancer and passed away peacefully in the company of his loved ones.
Rath was born in 1945 in Krefeld, Germany. He received a master of arts from the University for Music in Munich. He emigrated to the US where he studied at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music with János Starker from 1972 to 1974. Following his studies, he lived in New York City and Sag Harbor, NY.
He performed as cellist of the International String Quartet, principal cellist of the Munich Philharmonic and principal cellist of Orchestra of St. Luke’s. As a teacher, he served on the faculties at Brown University, University of Indiana (Bloomington) and Bennington College.
He became artistic director of the Washington Square Music Festival in 2001. ’Well known on the local and international music scene, his knowledge of classical, contemporary and world music was exhaustive, which he enthusiastically shared with our audiences,’ the festival said of Rath on social media.
The Washington Square Music Festival will dedicate its concert on Sunday 19 November to Rath. He is survived by his partner Jenna Saint Pierre and numerous friends and colleagues.
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