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CHRIS VILLARS Obituary

VILLARS--Chris. Chris Villars had been trained as a physicist and was the archivist for the American composer Morton Feldman for the past 30 years. The Morton Feldman website https://cnvill.net/ is the largest and most comprehensive source of information regarding all aspects of life and works of this great composer. Chris Villars is survived by his wife Gillian, his son Rob, three grand-children, William, Georgina and Anna; sister Victoria and brother Timothy.

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Published by New York Times on Nov. 17, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
for CHRIS VILLARS

18 Entries

Marc Salz

April 13, 2025

I am deeply saddened by the passing of Chris Villars. He put my paintings on his site and bought a few as well. His devotion to Morton Feldman´s music was wonderful. His site was a great resource of information. My condolences to his family.

Tristan F (Hove, UK)

November 11, 2024

Legacy sent me an email to say that it is a year since Chris Villars passed - and did I want to submit another memory to the one I had already left on June 5th? Well, as I was never a close friend or family member I hesitate somewhat to claim such a right, but I will say that whenever I see a new release by Morton Feldman being advertised, my brain still half runs the "I-must-tell-Chris-Villars" circuit before I remember he has died. Still a sad truth.

Stephen Altoft

September 24, 2024

I met Chris through Feldman's music: he asked me for a recording of 'A very short trumpet piece' (which I played a lot back then) for his website (which is not loading of course now) and he also engaged me to play it live at the launch of the book, 'Morton Feldman Says'. I am sorry to hear of his passing and have uploaded the recording onto my Soundcloud page.

Richard Bjorkman

August 18, 2024

I learned just today that Chris Villars is gone. Such a loss! I became aware of his Morton Feldman website shortly after he started it. He had begun collecting texts about Feldman-analyses, reminiscences, etc. My own essay about Feldman became #10 in his collection. In the years that followed, Chris and I corresponded fairly frequently, and, although we had never met in person, I came to consider Chris very much a friend. I am deeply saddened by his passing. I am also concerned about the future of the archive of Feldman-related material on which he had worked so hard and so meticulously over many years. My sincere condolences to his family and to all who knew him.

Tristan F (in Hove, UK)

June 5, 2024

I am really, really, really shocked and saddened to learn that Chris Villars has died. About 8 minutes ago I realised I had not received a Mortan Feldman new release email for some time and thought I would check out the website to see if it had been updated recently. Gone. It was then I feared the worst. Then I find this page confirming my fears.
Many, many condolences to his family. We quite often exchanged little emails and shared our love of Morton Feldman.
I also met him once on October 28, 2018 at a concert of Feldman's music in London. We chatted afterwards. Now a treasured memory.
I hope the Feldman website might possibly see the light of day again as it was a wealth of knowledge for me; I got the idea that Chris singlehandedly maintained it - out of pure love I suppose.
I always wanted to get my hands on the book about Morton Feldman that Chris published - but he was kind enough to send me the text for it.
Oh dear - very sad news indeed.
Many, many condolences to his family. Still in shock.
Best wishes - Tristan

Alex

January 31, 2024

I emailed with Chris several times over the years, sharing notices of Morton Feldman performances and a couple transcripts I made of Feldman lectures, all of which he posted to his website. I was preparing a list of upcoming concerts to send to him and noticed the site was down. Searching for news about him, I learned of his passing.

He will surely be missed. I do hope the Feldman website goes up again, so that his many years of hard work and research is not lost.

Matthew Lee Knowles

January 4, 2024

I was lucky enough to talk with Chris over email a few times over the years and he was always lovely and The Morton Feldman page was a critically important resource for me since 2005. Goodbye Chris, thank you for everything you've done.

Barak Perelman

January 1, 2024

He was one of my best friends, although we never met in person i found his paintings unique and he thought the same about my music so we exchanged emails and our work for many years. I´m so terribly sad he´s gone, we exchanged emails as recent as November but today i want to read something from his website and when i couldn´t find it i found this obituary.

Sue Greenham

December 7, 2023

Chris was my cousin. I didn't know him very well because he was quite a bit older than me. I wish I had known him better; he sounds lovely.

Zahra Partovi

November 21, 2023

It is common knowledge that Chris Villars was the archivist for the American composer Morton Feldman. It is uncommon knowledge that Chris was a pivotal force in the Avant-Garde music community all around the world.

In the outpouring of sympathies received from Chris´s colleagues, he is memorialized as: "What a gift Chris was to Feldman, to music, to all of us who he included in his life." And that: "Chris was a pillar for us Feldman folks." And "Chris has done such important work in compiling Morton Feldman´s many articles and interviews, which has been such a rich resource for me and for so many others. He was so supportive and generous." "He'll be much missed."

With his quiet and unassuming manner, Chris Villars was the inspiration for countless creative projects focusing on the life and works of this important composer. None of the seven films on Morton Feldman: "Feldman Sings" (co-directed by Chris), "Softly - A GIANT STEP", "who´d have thought" and "Immortal Whisperer" in four parts would have been possible without Chris´s inspiration and encouragement.

Chris was also a sleuth and a determined detective. He scoured the world to find every piece of information available about Morton Feldman. By now, his Morton Feldman website is a treasure-trove, housing tens of thousands of articles, letters, the definitive list of Feldman´s compositions, every concert around the world, books, music releases and films. Every new music release was always announced on the website and all concerts worldwide would be listed immediately.

The avid Morton Feldman communities in five continents totally depended on Chris Villars for all things Feldman. Chris did all this single-handedly. No one person can ever fill Chris´s shoes. Now, it will take a village to carry his torch and continue his legacy for the next generations of modernist music lovers.
Zahra Partovi

Rob Villars

November 19, 2023

Chris was a great Dad, happy to join in playing with our toys from when we were very young. The box the toy came in was often initially the most fun part of the gift, thanks to Dad pushing us around the room in the box.

As Helen and I grew up, the boxes the toys arrived in seemed to grow smaller. But not the cost. Dad's interest in our hobbies only grew.

Dad supported Helen and I through our university years. No small achievement. When us twins left home promptly after graduation. I still remember my Dad's happiness when I moved out of home. Dad knew the diminution in the housekeeping would be considerable.

When Dad became a Grandad, his level of engagement with the family increased to the point Grandad and Grannie moved up north.

All Dad's Grandchildren loved being spoilt with great gifts and all the time Dad spent with them.

Many of Dad's interests are now mine. From literature to family history to tech. I still remember Dad and my interest in a new ZX Spectrum he had purchased. The day Dad set it up, we both went to have our Sunday lunch and we were amazed when a single computer game had just finished loading as we returned from our leisurely meal. It seemed magically quick.

I am sure there is many things I will wish Dad and I had discussed. I will miss my Dad.

Zahra Partovi

November 19, 2023

You have left us Chris, but your beauty will always illuminate the world.
Zahra Partovi

Nicky Villars

November 19, 2023

The first time I met Chris, I always thought what a kind and gentle soul he was. A few years later he became my Father In Law when I married Rob. He always doted on his grandchildren and I remember many times of being at his house when they were little and he would happily sit on the floor with them building lego or creating Brio train layouts. I can still hear his "Cup of tea?" question he frequently asked. He was hugely academic and was latterly devoted most his time to his archive. He will be missed in many ways as a grandad and father. So sad, especially so soon after losing his daughter.

Jonathan Coleclough

November 18, 2023

I'm sad to hear of Chris' death. I only met Chris once, at the launch of his 'Feldman Says' book in March 2006, but we stayed in touch via occasional emails. I am very grateful for his work over many years on his website devoted to Morton Feldman, without which I would have missed many great concerts.

Kevin Connell

November 17, 2023

Chris attended Thames Valley grammar school with me. He was a very talented mathematician but found his niche in philosophy at Birmingham University. I went on to Kent University to study Physics. We were best mates at school often walking home together and I spent a lot of time round his house admiring his collection of scientific objects, several of which he had built himself. Sadly as happened so easily in those days we lost touch after university and there were no school reunions to bring ex pupils back together. Chris was one of those people whom you wish you'd got back in touch with and then you find it's too late. Condolences to his family.

Vincent FitzGerald

November 17, 2023

Chris Villars was a great inspiration to many creative people in the fields of music, art and filmmaking.
I was honored to publish "ECHOES" with Chris´s poetry and be part of two Morton Feldman films inspired by Chris and created by filmmaker Zahra Partovi. Chris Villars´ legacy will live on.
Vincent FitzGerald, publisher

Duncan McGibbon

November 17, 2023

I was a school-friend of Christopher Villars, knowing him was the greatest intellectual companionship and support in my life. I can remember the first time I met him was in a Art lesson when we were asked to paint the most important thing in our lives. Chris painted his telescope. His vision of the unity of the universe based on Leibniz's chain of being commanded the attention of distinguished physicists. We also shared an interest in contemporary music. I was an enthusiast for the Second Vienna school and the Flute-playing Chris went to join an improvisation group. He was also a painter of abstract art and a web-site can be found of them. I am a poet and Chris had a way of sharing and supporting all we were dedicated to creativity. Our friendship continued after school. As a married couple we supported Chris and Gillian in bringing up their twins, Robert and Helen . Remember them pushing the beaming, angelic Helen and the alert confident Robert. The music of Morton Feldman evokes the insight and the gentle compassion of the man. When I The Consolations was published he appreciated it and asked me whether caring humanism and Christian faith were much the same thing. to which I hoped I answered "Yes" The task of raising twins is tough and I remember Chris telling me the children made a special sound -sign to each other when they were separated. As I listen to Feldman I hope my friend I miss so much hears with me.

Anna McGibbon

November 17, 2023

So very sad to hear this. One of the kindest and tallest people I have known! Anna McGibbon

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