“On Saturday evening, the LA Phil walked off the stage at Walt Disney Concert Hall after a performance of Mahler’s 9th Symphony,” writes Los Angeles Philharmonic violinist Vijay Gupta in a Tuesday (10/25) tribute at Violinist.com. “I wasn’t surprised to hear that [recently retired violinist] Barry Socher had passed away at 8:40pm [after] valiantly battling cancer.” Socher had played in the orchestra for 35 years. “Gustavo [Dudamel] dedicated the Sunday matinee performance to Barry’s memory. I can’t imagine a better tribute.… For Barry, playing Mahler was a spiritual experience … [and] music was a way to bring people together and celebrate the joyful, the painful, and the totally bizarre.… At [his annual Halloween party] Dilloween, you’d either hear a reverent, hushed silences at the end of a poignant piece, or everyone would be roaring with equally reverent laughter…. There was no ‘professional Barry’ … to him, everything was personal. His friends mattered as much as the music did.” Socher founded the Armadillo String Quartet and taught at Idyllwild School of Music, Pomona College, the University of Southern California, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute. Socher is survived by his wife, Jutta. The LA Phil will announce a celebration of his life.
Posted October 28, 2016
