New York J 1633: Mourning the death of Howard A. Weiss, distinguished violin soloist, chamber musician, teacher, and conductor

Bill Text

Senate Resolution No. 1633
Senator COONEYBY:
the death of Howard A. Weiss,MOURNING
distinguished violin soloist, chamber musician,
teacher, and conductor
It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute toWHEREAS,
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and this
great Empire State; and
Howard A. Weiss of Brighton, New York, died on Friday,WHEREAS,
December 31, 2021, with good friends present; and
Howard A. Weiss distinguished himself in his profession andWHEREAS,
by his sincere dedication and substantial contribution to the music
industry and his community; and
His commitment to excellence, and his spirit of humanity,WHEREAS,
carried over into all fields of enterprise; and
Howard A. Weiss' love for music flourished at the young ageWHEREAS,
of three when he could identify the works of Johann Sebastian Bach by
ear; just one year later, he began asking his parents for violin lessons
as a result of falling in love with the recording of the song "Hora
Staccato" by Jascha Heifetz's; he later started violin classes at seven
years old, receiving a scholarship after several lessons; and
Howard's most important violin teacher was Morris GombergWHEREAS,
at the Chicago Music College of Roosevelt University, where he was also
on a full four-year scholarship; during this time, he was in the first
violin section of Chicago's Lyric Opera, where he accompanied Guiseppe
Di Stefano and Elizabeth Schwartzkopf, among other great singers of the
era; and
An accomplished musician, Howard A. Weiss notably performedWHEREAS,
with many top musical artists such as Duke Ellington, who played a
20-minute program privately for him in 1967; the New York musician also
recorded albums with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Chet
Atkins, Henry Mancini, David Oistrakh, Leonid Kogan and Arthur
Rubenstein, and toured with Johnny Mathis; and
Before coming to Rochester, Howard A. Weiss was AssistantWHEREAS,
Concert Master of the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell from
1965-1967; he performed the Beethoven Violin Concerto in 1967, conducted
by James Levine; and
Howard A. Weiss served 20 years as Concert Master of theWHEREAS,
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra from 1967-1987, during which time he
performed as a soloist more than 100 times, including during the
premiere recording of David Amram's "Elegy for Violin and Orchestra";
and

During his time with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra,WHEREAS,
Howard A. Weiss founded and was Music Director of the Rochester
Philharmonic Youth Orchestra which traveled the world and recorded 21 LP
albums; and
Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense ofWHEREAS,
compassion, Howard A. Weiss leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it
That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations toRESOLVED,
mourn the death of Howard A. Weiss, and to express its deepest
condolences to his family; and be it further
That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, beRESOLVED,
transmitted to the family of Howard A. Weiss.