Jonathan Kramer Obituary

KRAMER, Jonathan We mourn with profound sorrow the death of composer Jonathan Kramer, Professor of Music at Columbia University. Born in 1942 in Hartford. Jonathan studied music composition at Harvard University and received his PhD in Music Theory and Composition from the University of California at Berkeley. Beloved husband of Deborah Bradley, Jonathan will be cherished for his generosity of spirit, his humanity, his effervescent wit, and boundless capacity for love. The son of the late Pauline Klein, he is survived by his loving father, Maxwell Kramer and children, Stephanie and Zachary and their mother, Norma Kramer. A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m., Sunday, June, 6 at Plaza Jewish Community Chapel, 630 Amsterdam Avenue at West 91st Street, Manhattan.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Hartford Courant on Jun. 5, 2004.

Memories and Condolences
for Jonathan Kramer

11 Entries

Orlando Jacinto Garcia

June 19, 2004

It was with great sorrow that I heard of Jonathan Kramer's recent passing. We had been trading emails just a few weeks before his death and I had no idea of his illness. Jonathan was a great artist, theorist, critic, educator, and above all a wonderful human being.

His accomplishments were many from his books to his compositions to

the number of excellent students (working in a variety of aesthetics)

that came out of his studio(s). Perhaps what I liked most about him

was his deep passion for the music world in which we all work.

I met Jonathan in the early 1980s when I was beginning my graduate

studies. We met at a National Conference of the SCI being held at

LSU in Baton Rouge. I was very fortunate that he found my work of

interest as I knew of him and respected him greatly. We became very good friends after that initial meeting. Over the years he was very supportive of me and would always find the time to see me when I visited Cincinnati and later New York. I very much enjoyed our conversations which ran from aesthetics to local restaurants and everything in between.

In retrospect, I can easily say that he was one of the people I have met in my life that have had a true impact not just as an artist or

theorist or educator but as an individual with a big heart. Jonathan was a class act and will sorely be missed.

Orlando Jacinto Garcia

Jason Eckardt

June 19, 2004

Jonathan Kramer was my teacher and will be deeply missed. He was one of the most open-minded musicians I ever met and I benefited immensely from his instruction. Despite our aesthetic differences, Jonathan was always able to make cogent, detailed comments on my music and helped me to develop the ability to objectify my work in order to be more critical. A fantastic teacher and wonderfully esoteric composer.

Rocky J. Reuter

June 14, 2004

A True Loss to the Musical World! I studied with Jonathan for a semester while he was still in Cinci and I was a doctoral student at OSU. I had heard his "Music for Piano No.5" and knew that I must work with him at some time. When I brought this up to my mentor, Gregory Proctor (who was scheduled for sabbatical), he highly encouraged me to contact Jonathan. The time I spent with Jonathan then, and in the years that followed, was tremendous and deeply effected my work as a composer and music educator. I cannot say more elegantly what others have written here and elsewhere, but I can validate that each and every testimonial is true. We will miss Jonathan and the great works that will no longer flow from him in this world.

Rocky J. Reuter

Composer/Music Technologist/Music Educator

Capital University Conservatory of Music

VivianAdelberg Rudow

June 13, 2004

When I was Artistc Director/Producer of

Res MusicAmerica, in March, 1990, we performed ATLANTA LICKS by Jonathan D.Kramer. It was a big hit with our crowded enthusiastic audience.

June 13, 2004

What a terrible loss.

I would not be a composer today if it were not for the encouragement Jonathan gave me as an undergraduate student at Yale. Even after I went to grad school, he asked me to send him samples of my work. He never failed to comment extensively and insightfully and continued to mentor me for many years after our formal student/teacher relationship had ended.

He was a man of great heart, a man of generous spirit, a brilliant thinker and a very gifted composer whose works never received the recognition I thought they were due.

I hope he will be long remembered.

Frank LaRocca

Anne Arenstein

June 11, 2004

We are shocked and deeply saddened by Jonathan's death. He was a dynamic, witty and brilliant man who was generous with his gifts of time and insights. His program notes for the Cincinnati Symphony were miniature masterpieces and I deeply regret never having taken his course at CCM when I worked there. His warmth, his genius and his engaging spirit will be sorely missed. Our condolences to Jonathan's family, his friends and colleagues.
Anne Arenstein and Richard Sarason

Cathi White

June 11, 2004

Blessings to everyone touched by Jonathan's death... and life. There aren't many who can honestly be labeled good men. Jonathan was a good man.

Martin Sweidel

June 10, 2004

We are deeply saddened to learn of about this tragic loss. We offer our deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers to all of those close to Jonathan, especially to Norma, Stephanie, and Zach. We remember our days together in Cincinnati with fondness and wish that Dallas and New York had been much closer.

Marty, Monica, and Alex Sweidel

cynthia/bob gross

June 5, 2004

To Steph and Zach our deepest sympathy on the loss of your father

Margaret M. Barela

June 4, 2004

What a shock, and a significant loss to the musical community. I had the privilege of working with him in and editorial capacity on one of his books, The Time of Music, and unfinished book, Postmodern Music, Postmodern Listener. His originality was matched by his curiosity. I was struck by his willingness to listen to ideas from anyone, even students, with genuine openness. He was willing to probe and entertain farflung approaches to knotty musical problems. He had an extraordinary humility that balanced his enormous intellectual gifts. He will be missed by all who learned from him. I will miss him. My sincerest condolences to his family.

Peter Smith

June 4, 2004

A dreadfully sad loss of an esteemed colleague, among whose contributions to Columbia was his diligent work on behalf of the long overdue introduction of undergraduate majors in the practice of the arts. A cheerful and kindly presence in Dodge Hall.

Showing 1 - 11 of 11 results