18 Comments
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Julie Scolnik's avatar

Beautiful. I so appreciate your style of natural and unpretentious writing. I am guessing you toss these essays off easily without much stress or editing. The result is moving and honest.

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Herve Bronnimann's avatar

Beautiful portrait. We should all be so lucky to have had a first or second teacher like him. Can you give a short comment about the YouTube video?

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Katherine Needleman's avatar

The Youtube video is Rudy playing oboe.

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Herve Bronnimann's avatar

Yes I found via google : 1991 National Symphony Orchestra. His playing is beautiful! Good for you for finding this recording.

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LeeanneRH's avatar

May his memory be a blessing. Thank you for sharing this story.

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Nadina Mackie Jackson's avatar

Beautiful portrait, thank you, Katherine❤️

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William Klingelhoffer's avatar

Rudy! I knew him as a brilliant student in Chicago at Northwestern. We played in NU Orchestra together and a couple of free lance jobs. I remember we played Petrouchka with Joffrey Ballet at the Auditorium theatre and he was so excited by the music that we hung out after the performance and he wanted to listen a recording of the music and dance around! I was in Tom Willis's modern music class and had to do a class project so I organized a performance of Terry Riley's "In C". I asked Rudy to play. He accepted with enthusiasm and he insisted I ask Ron Friedman, the best Jazz Trumpet player at NU to play too. Rudy and the Trumpet player sounded great and that was the last time I saw him. Your wonderful portrait really brought him to life! I loved reading your memories of him. Thank You!

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Jim Peter's avatar

Who is in the picture? Plus, you right goodly!

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Geoffrey Pearce's avatar

A marvellous tribute to someone who you admired and who helped you a great deal on your journey. This was very touching. Thank you.

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Tom Sublett's avatar

"Queen of filth" bah. More like Queen of Words. You have rebranded the derogatory moniker in a very unique and powerful way

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David Leonnig's avatar

This is really wonderful and honest. I don’t think a student could write anything more appreciative of an instructor. I’m sorry for your loss, but now I want to hear you both. Thanks for being so transparent. So refreshing.

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Erin Brophey's avatar

That’s such a charming story. I’m going to guess that he valued you as much as you honoured him. When the master-student relationship works- it is so darn beautiful! 🧡

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amanda Brown's avatar

I think all parents should let their children to drive to DC. Mine let me drive to the Ren Cen in downtown Detroit to go to a Bill Clinton event in 1992. Somehow I got myself on the campaign event team and stood at the front to "hold the line." I am not sure what about this story is most weird. That I figured out pre-social media how to go to volunteer at a campaign event when my parents had zero interest in political events. That it was Bill Clinton. (pre-Monica but still). That I drove in Detroit and figured out where to park in an area that you generally didn't always want to leave a car that you might want to still find when said event was finished. Beautiful tribute to an epic teacher but also such a good story about grit on your part.

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Andy tangborn's avatar

That's a really nice tribute. I was in the JCC Symphony (now Symphony of the Potomac) when he soloed with us on the Strauss concerto.

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Scheherazade's avatar

Moving article. May Rudolph Vrbsky’s memory be a blessing. I like good vodka, and recommend Chopin or another Polish potato vodka for the drink in his honor

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Stuart Balcomb's avatar

Wonderful story. I had a similar experience with Gary Burton, my vibes teacher. He was already an established jazz star, but 100% giving of his time, experience, and techniques. I consider him a great mentor.

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Kristen Davies's avatar

What a beautiful and thoughtful tribute, I’m so sorry for your loss.

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Karen Lauterwasser's avatar

Thank you for sharing that wonderful tribute. We should all be so lucky to encounter such talented and well grounded people in our musical lives.

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