Music Institute of Chicago to Honor Memory of Gilda Barston

The Music Institute of Chicago is sad to report that longtime and much-loved cello faculty member Gilda Barston died June 25 after a long illness. She was 71 years old and lived in Evanston, Illinois.

Barston, Dean Emeritus of the Music Institute of Chicago and cello faculty for both its Community Music School and Academy program for gifted pre-college musicians, began her tenure at the Music Institute in 1973. A student of Leonard Rose, she received her bachelor's and master's degrees from The Juilliard School of Music in New York before coming to Illinois. Barston was principal cellist of the Chicago String Ensemble from its founding until 1983 as well as a member of the American Symphony Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski, the Mu Phi Epsilon Trio, and the Lyric Trio. During her long career, she performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Canada, Australia, Israel, and Japan.

Reflecting Barston's position as a master teacher, the Music Institute's Barston Suzuki Center, one of the largest and most highly regarded Suzuki Education centers in the country, bears her name. In 1998, Barston received a Distinguished Service Award from the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) for her work with the SAA Cello Committee. A Registered Teacher Trainer of Suzuki Cello Pedagogy, she had served on the faculty of the American Suzuki Institute (ASI) since 1976 and was the recipient of the ASI's 2005 Suzuki Chair Award. She was artistic director of the Chicago Suzuki Institute, was CEO of the International Suzuki Association, and taught at many other Institutes and workshops throughout the United States and Canada, most recently as faculty of the National Cello Institute Advanced Cello Residency Program in Orange County, California. She was a faculty member and soloist at the International Suzuki Teachers' Conference in Matsumoto, Japan and taught at the World Conference in Edmonton, Canada; the Pan-Pacific Suzuki Conference in Adelaide, Australia; the Melbourne Autumn Festival; and Korean Suzuki Association Winter Camps. In 2006, she was an honored guest and faculty member at the 14th Suzuki Method World Convention in Turin, Italy. In May 2010, she and her daughter, Amy, were guest master class clinicians at the Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference in Minneapolis. They presented at the same conference in 2016, when the SAA announced the establishment of the Gilda Barston Legacy Scholarship Fund.

In 2015, the American String Teachers Association, Illinois Chapter honored Barston as "Outstanding Studio Teacher" for the state of Illinois. Also that year, the Music Institute presented her with its Richard D. Colburn Award for Teaching Excellence. In addition to teaching at the Music Institute, she served on the faculties of Northwestern University and DePaul University and on the board of directors of the Chicago Cello Society.

Music Institute President and CEO Dr. Mark George commented, "Gilda meant so much to so many people, it is difficult to express the impact of her parting. In more than 40 years of teaching at the Music Institute, she was a friend, mentor, leader, and advocate for the highest standards in music education. Gilda was a celebrated teacher of teachers, training and mentoring hundreds of young cellists who have spread about the world to become leaders in their field."

Music Institute Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs Emily Abraham added, "Most of all, Gilda was a teacher who loved her students and their families, challenging them to be the best they could be, nurturing them to become good musicians and good people. Her example was a constant source of inspiration for all who knew her. She will be terribly missed."

A memorial service for Barston takes place Sunday, July 3 at 1 p.m. at the Music Institute of Chicago's Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston. All are welcome. Barston's family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations to the following causes, which were close to her heart:

• The Barston Suzuki Center supports Suzuki teacher training and continuing education for the Suzuki faculty at the Music institute. Checks may be written to the Barston Suzuki Center and mailed to Music Institute of Chicago, 1702 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60201, or donations may be made online at musicinst.org/giving. Because of the commitment and leadership of Gilda Barston, the Music Institute of Chicago has one of the largest, most comprehensive, and most highly regarded Suzuki programs in the country. The Barston Suzuki Center is a model program for engaging teachers and musicians in the Suzuki method and provides long-term teacher training and educational seminars, scholarship for teachers, and continuing education support for Music Institute faculty.
• The Gilda Barston Cello Scholarship supports cellists studying at the Music Institute. Checks may be written to the Music Institute of Chicago and mailed to Music Institute of Chicago, 1702 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60201, or donations may be made online at musicinst.org/giving.
• The Gilda Barston Legacy Scholarship Fund, established by the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA), supports Suzuki teacher education in the Americas. Checks may be written to SAA and mailed to SAA, PO Box 17310, Boulder, CO 80308. For online donations, visit suzukiassociation.org/giving/donate/ and select Gilda Barston Legacy Scholarship Fund.

The Music Institute of Chicago is dedicated to transforming lives through music education. Founded in 1931, the Music Institute has grown to become one of the largest and most respected community music schools in the nation. Offering musical excellence built on the strength of its distinguished faculty, commitment to quality, and breadth of programs and services, the Music Institute is a member of the National Guild for Community Arts Education and accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Pre-collegiate Arts Schools (ACCPAS). Each year, the Music Institute's teachers reach thousands of students of all ages and levels of experience. Music Institute locations include Chicago, Evanston, Winnetka, Lincolnshire, Lake Forest, and Downers Grove. In addition, the Music Institute is proud of its longstanding partnership with the Chicago Public Schools through its Arts Link program. The Music Institute offers lessons and classes, and concerts through its Community Music School, Academy, and Nichols Concert Hall. For more information, visit musicinst.org.

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