Name: Visitation for RAYMOND HANSON
Start: 2017-11-03T20:00:00.000Z
End: 2017-11-03T23:00:00.000Z
Location: Sheehan-Hilborn-Breen Funeral Home

RAYMOND D. HANSON
Beloved father, devoted husband, concert pianist and teacher, died peacefully of natural causes in his home in Heath, Massachusetts on Thursday, October 26, 2017 at the age of 98. Born October 5, 1919 to David and Martha Hanson of Evanston, Illinois, Raymond began studying piano at the age of 12. By the age of 15, he appeared as a featured soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Raymond attended Northwestern University until the beginning of WWII, and his commitment to non-violence and peaceful protest led him to become a Conscientious Objector. This eventually brought him to Middletown, Connecticut. After the War, in 1945, Raymond met Moshe Paranov and was offered a teaching job at Hartt College of Music. While at Hartt, Raymond worked with the renowned pianist and pedagogue, Harold Bauer, who took him under his wing and mentored him. Raymond was promoted to full Professor of Piano and eventually served as Head of the Piano Department where he remained for over 40 years. Throughout this time, he performed as a soloist with Hartford Symphony, Boston Symphony and Boston Pops; performed concerts and world tours with noted artists such as Roman Totenberg, Pinchas Zukerman, and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf; and he appeared on his own weekly television program, Piano Pops, with Leonard Seeber. In addition, he created the piano series En Blanc et Noir, which featured young and upcoming pianists. In 1973, he married pianist Anne Koscielny. For generations thereafter, their home was a center of laughter and inspiration for family, friends and students. Raymond is survived by his children, Krystyn Kelley (from his first marriage to Cesidia DiPillo) and spouse, Dana (Maine), Cecile Audette and spouse, James (Maryland); his grandchildren, Heather LaCasse, David Veslocki, Michael Picard, Renee Audette and great grandchildren, Olivia and Drew LaCasse. He is pre-deceased by his wife, Anne Koscielny; and two daughters, from his first marriage, Karen Hanson and Lisa Picard. Visiting hours will be held on Friday, November 3, 2017 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Sheehan-Hilborn-Breen Funeral Home, 1084 New Britain Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06110, and funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 4, 2017, 10:30 a.m. at the Covenant Congregational Church, I Westminster Dr., West Hartford, CT 06107. The Hanson family would like to express their gratitude for the loving Care Team, the members of the Emergency Firefighter Association, and Compassus Hospice Care. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Heath Firefighter Association, 1 East Main Street, P.O. Box 45, Heath, MA 01346. Online condolences may be made at wwwSheehanHilbornBreen.com

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Published by The Washington Post on Oct. 31, 2017.

Memories and Condolences
for RAYMOND HANSON

16 Entries

Sophia Ahmad

October 25, 2020

Thinking of you on the anniversary of your passing, Mr. Hanson. Thank you for all of the magic you taught us.

Frank Argento

November 10, 2017

Mr. Hanson impacted my life like no other person. His methaphors and insights would awaken a kind of musical inner life in me. I loved visiting him. Last April we spent most of the time listening to music he played. He would comment on the performance, or simply react to the music like he was performing it right there in the living room. It was like I was at a piano lesson again, and he was speaking to some inner musician in me that needed to be awakened. He caused me to hear and see things that I would not have recognized on my own. Often when I teach piano Mr. Hanson is on my mind and I'm amazed that I've been so blessed to have him in my life.

Lisa DeWolf

November 9, 2017

Michael I am so very sorry for your great loss. I am sorry I did not know or we would have been at the wake. More angels in Heaven to watch over you and care for you xo

November 4, 2017

Ray was my teacher at Hartt College when I was 7 years old. He was a fabulous teacher and always so much fun. We remained in contact all these years and spoke for the last time in May. Sending love and condolences to his family. Edith Kraft

Sophie, Mr. H, Ms. K

Sophia S. Ahmad

November 2, 2017

Ray and Anne are greatly missed. As many have written, they have molded so many of us into the musicians we are today, infusing life and perspective into our playing and enabling the piano to be for us the lens through which we view life. We love you, Mr. H. and Ms. K!

Chen-Li Tzeng

November 1, 2017

For the past 33 years, Mr. Hanson had the most profound influence on me as a musician, a pianist, and a person. Amazingly, his influence on me is continuing on as I talked to and read comments of other who had known him. Oh, I feel so fortunate. Thank you, Mr. Hanson.

2016 after a visit at the farm

Hui-Mei Lin

November 1, 2017

Mr. Hanson was the most influential teacher and a father to me since I came to the US without my family when I was 14. Recalling our first lesson in 1975 when I was 15, I brought Beethoven Concerto in C to play for him. After he heard me, he said, "Let's play in D major today!" "What?? D Major? the whole thing?" Then he proceeded to tell me that in his youth studying with Walter Knaupfer, he made him play Bach C minor prelude in different keys every week. This was the practice of the 19th century when pianists spent many hours improvising and transposing by ear. Of course he proceeded to show off his skills playing in D, E, and F...In his later years I would ask him to play something for me before I leave.He often played Schubert's G-flat impromptu. When he came to some parts that he couldn't remember, he would just improvise until he got to a place that he knew. Anne and I would be chuckling and admiring him at the same time.

Every fall season while studying at Hartt, he took me for a drive to see the beautiful foliage through country roads that I didn't know existed. On the way to the farm, we stopped by the pancake house (Gould's?) because he thought their maple syrup was the best. His pancakes were swimming in the syrup.

He and Anne were the most fun and dedicated teachers. For several years they cooked weekly meals for the students at ASK House before a recital, which was just
extraordinary. The two weeks leading up to a recital, Mr. Hanson often gave me 2-3 hour lessons, sometimes twice a day, and three times a week. I guess I needed a lot of help! Their dedication to the students have been an inspiration and role model for me as a teacher.

Just 3 weeks ago, I played my solo program for him. I am so thankful for that special time and feel extremely blessed to have had such a long time of making music with his guidance. I will always have a very special place for him in my heart.

P.S. Jason S. I have never heard him say the legato expression, "like spreading peanut butter." That's really cute, he did love peanut butter.

Clinton Adams

November 1, 2017

The finest teacher, mentor and friend anyone could have ever had. He was the kind of person who gave Christianity a good name.

Kathryn DerMarderosian

November 1, 2017

Oh, Cecile, I am so sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you. Love, Kathryn

Betsy Parker

October 31, 2017

My deep friendship with Ray began a year after the loss of his beloved wife, Anne, who was my piano teacher for four years in Hartford. Ray got my name and number from a mutual friend and reached out to me, beginning a long series wonderful phone conversations, often late at night after he was tucked into bed.
Since my husband Victor Steinhardt is also a pianist, many of these talks were three-way exchanges, full of jokes, and lots of talk about music and musicians. We also spoke of our families and friends,
politics, religion, even what we had eaten for dinner. He often gave sage advice, based on his long career as an outstanding performer and teacher, always with warmth, sensitivity, humor and plenty of
simple common sense. Ray sent us several CD's of his chamber music performances with violinist and cellist colleagues, each piece beautiful and inspiring. Even in times of loss and physical
challenges, Ray remained positive and loving, always grateful for the past and current blessings in his life. I miss him very much but keep him and everything he taught me in my heart always. I send
love and support to Cecile, Krystyn, to all members of his family and to the many students and colleagues who treasured Ray so much.

October 31, 2017

A lovely man whom I have known since the 1950s. Always a pleasure to talk with and fortunately for me, he stayed in touch all these many years by phone. I shall miss his calls. Much wisdom I've learned from Ray. He would want all to celebrate his life and not be sad but be happy for time we had him with us.
Jackie Bentley Roberts

Visiting the Farm with The Hansons

Jason Solomonides

October 31, 2017

My piano coach and mentor, Professor Raymond Hanson, was Chairman of Piano at the Hartt College of Music for over 40 years. When Mr. Hanson passed away this past Thursday, I felt like I had lost my dad all over again. For pianists worldwide, Mr. Hanson was one of the last living connections to the era of Harold Bauer, Theodor Hermann Leschetizky, Sergei Tarnowsky and Walter Knaupfer musically speaking a clear link to the beginning and middle 19th century.

Mr. Hanson had a fatherly impact on me both musically and spiritually. He was an exceptional human being, musician, teacher, mentor and a man of God. He walked the walk, and I was blessed to study with him from the age of 11, until this very day at the age of 53. What a legacy! His integrity, calming and sage voice, comparative parables, joke telling and incomparable playing continue to live on in my ears as well as his many loving students, and I have found that much of what he taught me applied to both my piano performances and engineering leadership roles. I will miss our phone calls, visits to the Farm and his guidance greatly, but I am strengthened to know he is now with His Creator, where Music all began.

Some memorable pedagogical imagery from my years of lessons with Mr. Hanson:
Playing legato is like smoothly spreading peanut butter on a piece of toast
Playing pianissimo is like a single snowflake falling on freshly fallen snow
Raymond Hanson

This, shared at a time when the news was heavy and sad, spoken in all positivity:
I don't think about what I've lost; I think about what I've had. Celebrate!
Raymond Hanson