Jerry Duane Luedders

June 27, 1943 - October 5, 2018 Jerry Duane Luedders, 75 years of age, from Los Angeles, California, died due to a heart attack on October 5, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Jerry was born on June 27, 1943 in Sturgis, Michigan, to Stanley and Edith (Ely) Luedders. His siblings, Jack and Judy, live in Colfax, California. On October 17, 2008, Jerry married Joseph D. Gilbert in Los Angeles, California. Jerry believed that the art and science of teaching and learning is one of the highest expressions of ones perfection of being. Early in his career he was committed to uniquely combining a successful career as a university professor and academic administrator with his lifelong commitment to the art of teaching, while simultaneously demonstrating through his own performance that which he teaches. Trained at the University of Michigan, Indiana University, Harvard University and the Paris Conservatory, Luedders first won critical national acclaim for his premier performances with the Minnesota Orchestra of Ricercari Notturni, a concerto written for him by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski. A subsequent performance at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., won a Kennedy Center Friedheim Award. Exceptionally active as a soloist and recitalist, he performed extensively on five of the six major continents including in Japan, China, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, Estonia, Russia, Chile, Argentina, and throughout the United States. Recently he performed in Paris and Fontainebleau, France. He appeared as soloist with the Fairbanks Symphony, Arctic Chamber Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, numerous Civic and University Orchestras and Wind Ensembles, in the United States and Europe. He was featured on six compact discs as saxophone soloist or conductor. His advocacy of new music and the world premieres of works written for him by Robert Coburn, George Huessenstamm, Liviu Marinescu, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, and David Whitwell, earned him the honor of being named a Distinguished Soloist from the American Hemisphere by Harry Gee in his book Saxophone Soloists and Their Music 1844-1985. Mr. Luedders was an active performer, speaker, and writer. Over and above everything he has ever done in his life, the most rewarding part, which bled into all other areas, he was a Teacher! His heart was teaching. Highly regarded as a teacher, his students, consistent winners of state, national, and international competitions, now occupy important university and professional positions in classical, jazz, and pop music. Mr. Luedders was named to the "World's Who's Who of Musicians," was twice listed in the "Outstanding Educators of America" and was selected for the 2003 and 2004 editions of Who's Who Among America's Teachers. He held administrative positions as Associate Director of the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts, Vice Provost, and Chair of the Department of Music at California State University, Northridge. Since 1974, he was an active chair or member of on-site visitation teams for the National Association of Schools and regularly served as a consultant to institutions. Previous positions include Dean of Fine Arts at the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University, Director of the School of Music at Lewis & Clark College. In addition to his academic work, he served on the board of the Muriel Polia Foundation. He also enjoyed his membership in the Model A Club, where he served as secretary and was also a Knight in The Order of Saint Lazarus where he served as Vice Commander of The West. Jerry Luedders is survived by his beloved husband, Joseph (Gilbert), brother, Jack and sister, Judy. He was preceded in death by his parents, Stanley and Edith, and his nephew, Cory J. Luedders. We will always carry the sound of his laugh in our minds and the lessons he taught us in our hearts. Funeral services will be held on October 17, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90068, Chapel: Church of the Hills.