Geoff Nuttall

Geoff Nutall

Photo by Marco Borggreve

Well, gosh, here is some sad news:

Violinist Geoff Nuttall has died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. As the founding first-violinist of the St. Lawrence String Quartet, the Director of Chamber Music for the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC, and a Stanford University faculty member since 1998, Geoff was a deeply respected, admired, and inspirational presence in the chamber music field.  

Here is the official statement from his St. Lawrence String Quartet colleagues:

With utmost sadness, today we said goodbye to our friend and colleague Geoff Nuttall. He died at age 56 with his wife Livia at his side. Geoff was an inspired artist whose loyalty to his chosen passions and people was legendary. He fought cancer as he lived his life, brimming with optimism and tirelessly showing up for the things he loved the most: spending time with his wife Livia and playing sports with his boys; collecting vinyl LP’s, building objects with his hands, and sharing the pleasures of analog experiences of all kinds; nurturing native plants and gardening; and seeking in the string quartet an ever more expansive universe of human expression. Geoff had an energetic and spiritual connection to music that rubbed off on anyone lucky enough to witness him play. He constantly inspired us to heights we never dreamed of. In his home bases here at Stanford University; at the Spoleto USA Festival in Charleston, SC; in Canada and in many other places around the world, he touched countless lives through his performances, teaching, advocacy and friendship. We will miss him every single day, but feel immensely grateful to have been his fellow traveler.

—The St. Lawrence String Quartet: Owen Dalby, Lesley Robertson, Christopher Costanza

In lieu of flowers, Geoff’s family requests a tax-deductible donation to The Geoff Nuttall Memorial Fund, which was created to advance cancer research at Stanford University. Gifts can be made online at memorial.stanford.edu by selecting “Other Stanford Designation” and entering The Geoff Nuttall Memorial Fund in the “Other” text box, or by check payable to Stanford University with The Geoff Nuttall Memorial Fund indicated on the memo line, mailed to Development Services, P.O. Box 20466, Stanford, CA 94309, or by phone at 650-725-4360.

 

About Geoff Nuttall

As the founding first-violinist of the St. Lawrence String Quartet, the Director of Chamber Music for the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC, and a Stanford University faculty member since 1998, Geoff was a deeply respected, admired, and inspirational presence in the chamber music field.  Over the course of the Quartet’s 33-year career, he performed internationally on five continents; collaborated with celebrated composers John Adams, Osvaldo Golijov, and numerous others; and recorded Grammy-nominated and Juno award-winning albums. Also with the St. Lawrence String Quartet, Mr. Nuttall served as graduate ensemble-in-residence at the Juilliard School, Yale University, and Hartt School of Music, and served on the faculty at Stanford University, where the St. Lawrence String Quartet has been ensemble-in-residence since 1999. From 2009 until his passing, he was the Director of Chamber Music at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC, where he brought together some of chamber music’s most beloved musicians to celebrate the art form with spontaneous collaborations, and delighted audiences with his engaging, warm and insightful introductions. He lived in the Bay Area with his wife, violinist Livia Sohn, and their two sons, Jack and Ellis.

I never met or interviewed Geoff, but I remember him vividly from the SLSQ's performances (he gyrated a bit! okay, a lot) and from his enthusiastic participation at Reactions to the Record one year, where he talked about favorite recordings, LPs, and long-gone violinists and other string players. I'm so sorry to read this news. Deepest condolences to his family, friends, and musical colleagues everywhere. 

Other remembrances:

• David Allen, NY Times obit
• Alex Ross
• Kalimac
• Stanford Daily
• Stanford Report 
• Thomas May