A Tribute to Madeline -
friend, artist, music professor, piano teacher, animal rescuer…
Sorry to be late. I’m bogged down by the “it’s WAY too cold, too much snow, the whole world is just whitish-grey, missing sunshine and warmth” funk. Happens every year. I know we need the moisture and I’m grateful, but it does affect me emotionally.
Losing a friend is always difficult, especially when one doesn’t have all that many, by choice. I used to like parties! Hard to believe nowadays when I have no inclination for small talk or large gatherings. And big cities make me nervous.
One of the few people really dear to my heart was Madeline, and it is sad to know that we can’t get together any more. On the other hand, to know that her long struggle with debilitating cancer is finally over is such a relief. And the way she always handled this illness, everything she accomplished while under its shadow, her strong spirit which kept her focusing on others rather than solely on herself –well, this is nothing less but inspiring.
Madeline opened my eyes when it came to poor, neglected cats and dogs running along the busy, dangerous highway. If I stop now when I notice an obviously lost dog by the road, if I try to find an owner or try to catch the animal and drive them to the local Humane Society, it is because of her. All the many dogs and cats that she and her wife Birgitte rescued and lovingly took care of were rescued. Their house in Abiquiu was deliberately built to offer a home for dogs and cats: a tall chain link fence around the several-acre property kept the dogs secure. The house included several large indoor and outdoor kennels. The cats had a special room for their litter boxes.
She loved animals and was a vegetarian for ethical reasons. But Madeline’s real passion was music. She was Piano Professor at Arizona State University for over 30 years, and her Facebook page often had messages from former students who had become professional artists and who shared their gratitude: Madeline championed contemporary music, supported female artists and composers, and stood up for LGBTQ rights when this wasn’t exactly mainstream at most universities.
After she retired from ASU and moved to Abiquiu, Madeline implemented a dream which had influenced the way the house was built: in 2008, she and Birgitte hosted the first season of the Abiquiu Chamber Music Festival. On six bi-weekly Sundays starting in early June Madeline invited world class artists to perform classical and modern music the way chamber music should be experienced: in a relatively small, intimate setting. The Music Festival continued for 12 seasons and included famous performers such as Native American flutist Carlos Nakai (his 2012 and 2018 performances for the Abiquiu Chamber Music Festival are listed on his website), or the acclaimed Italian pianist Emanuele Arciuli (see his 2016 Newsletter, in Italian).
Each season required an enormous amount of work. The artists had to be chosen, contacted, and put under contract. They had to be housed at nearby B&Bs for the date of their performance. Tickets had to be printed and sold. The website had to be updated. One, sometimes two days before the performance the artists would arrive at the house for rehearsals. One part of the seating area was on an outside deck; this required umbrellas for sun protection, but when there was a thunderstorm with heavy winds and rain, some members of the audience had to hold on to the umbrellas, so they wouldn’t be blown away!
Madeline always pointed out that none of this would have been possible without the help of many individuals and friends, first and foremost her wife, Birgitte. But Madeline had the vision to pull it all together, for twelve seasons and more than 7,000 guests from all over the United States. An awe-inspiring accomplishment.
Work for the chamber music concerts started in January and went on without a break until the end of September. Besides that, Madeline managed her piano studio in Los Alamos where she taught students as young as six and all the way up to teenagers aged 15 and 16. Her warmth and passion encouraged them to practice and strive for the excellence that Madeline demonstrated.
She served on the Board of Directors of the Professional Music Teachers of New Mexico which organizes competitions for young artists in New Mexico and coordinates competitions on the national level. Madeline often entered her students in these competitions, and many of them actually won a prize. She was an immensely dedicated teacher who spent a lot of extracurricular time to make sure her students received the highest level of excellence possible. And they loved her for this.
And how can one not love a person who wears such sneakers?
Aw a very heartfelt tribute to Madeline.
I had no idea the concerts at their house were so much work and so world renown! very neat.