FAREWELL TO…
Camilla Wicks Born 1928 Violinist
Isaac Stern is said to have once called Camilla Wicks ‘the greatest violinist’. Born in Long Beach, California, to musical parents, Wicks blazed a trail for women performers during an age dominated by male violinist superstars like Jascha Heifetz. Her somewhat intermittent career began as a child prodigy – Wicks was performing in public at the age of five – and she undertook formal studies at the Juilliard School with Louis Persinger. She enjoyed early celebrity throughout the 1930s and ’40s and post-war concert engagements in Europe made her something of a star on both sides of the Atlantic. Retiring early to raise a family, she would eventually go on to split her time between performing and teaching in the US and Norway. In 2005 she retired from her final teaching post, at the San Francisco Conservatory, where she had held the Isaac Stern Distinguished Chair.
Cecilia Fusco Born 1933 Soprano
The daughter of Italian film composer Giovanni Fusco, Cecilia Fusco was born in Rome where she went on to study at the Santa Cecilia conservatory. Her diverse career saw her take on roles in everything from Handel to Richard Strauss, with works by many notable Italian opera composers in between. Her 1958 debut in Genoa (in Verdi’s Rigoletto) was swiftly followed by engagements in many of Italy’s greatest opera houses, not least La Scala in Milan, where she appeared regularly throughout her career. Though she performed internationally – including at New York’s Carnegie Hall – her heart was on the Italian stage. Her later years saw her turn to teaching, giving masterclasses in both the Italian mainland and Sicily.
Kamen Chanev Born 1964 Tenor
Much admired as a lyric tenor, Kamen Chanev later diversified and impressed in more dramatic roles. His career took him to theatres all over the world, but it all started at Sofia National Opera. His debut there in a 1993 production of Rigoletto followed years of training at both the city’s conservatory and at Rome’s Accademia Musicale. Chanev died just three weeks after making his debut as Verdi’s Otello at Bulgaria’s Stara Zagora opera house.
Also remembered…
Dvora Lewis (born 1936) was a greatly respected classical music publicist whose trademark was a gentle but persuasive charm. As well as many leading soloists and conductors, she represented the London Symphony Orchestra with distinction for some 37 years.
The affable label manager Andy West (born 1954) set up Discovery Music and Vision, having previously worked with the likes of Chandos, Naxos and ASV. He later returned to Naxos before retiring last year.