Kathryn Benforado
1999-10-14
Benforado, Kathryn "Kathy"
WALTHAM. MASSACHUSETTS.
Kathryn "Kathy' Benforado, age 44, died on Thursday. October 14, 1999, from complications related to scleroderma.
Memorial contributions in Kathy's memory may be made to Tunefoolery, c/o North Charles Mental Health, Inc.,54 Essex St., 1st floor, Cambridge, MA 02139 or Convivium Musicum, c/o 17 Chester Place, Sommerville, MA 02144.
http://new.convivium.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2002-Kathy-Benforado-Concert.pdf
This concert is dedicated to the memory of Kathy Benforado, our fellow singer and friend, who died on October 14, 1999. Kathy touched many lives through her achievements as a teacher, researcher and traveler, but it was her passion and gift for Renaissance music that brought her to us.
From her energy for the countless tasks required in our musical endeavor, to her striving for a balance of excellence and conviviality in music-making, she was a “heart” in our midst.
Her wide musical tastes ranged from Brazilian sambas and Baroque lute to Cole Porter and Macedonian folk songs. An accomplished instrumentalist, she loved hosting “music parties,” friends together reading scores, jamming and eating good food. She left her friends and family a large collection of instruments: piano, harpsichord, double bass, violas da gamba, recorders, accordion, percussion and flute. Her gift for teaching took her in several directions over the years, but in the end, it was her music she most wanted to share. One parent described her as “an incomparably wonderful teacher.” One of her piano students wrote to her, “You are the best piano teacher I could ever have. You are my charm.”
She was drawn to nature and travel and her many adventures included a two year stint in Spain, a month in Argentina, and another in Guatemala. Fluent in Spanish, she would arrive with her bike and viola da gamba and spend the time traveling, making new friends, hiking the mountains and learning the local music. She would have loved this concert of Spanish music chosen especially for her. Her Sephardic relatives may well have sat on Sevilla’s docks, in 1492, awaiting the transports that would ferry them into exile to Turkey, in the case of the Benforados, via Portugal or Italy. Some Benforados today live in Mexico City, and the family has reestablished a connection with Spain in recent years. And yet Kathy was drawn to the music of her ancestors from deep within herself. She was a beautiful singer of a capella choral music, but also adored the color and vibrancy of period instrumental accompaniment. This is our first concert with professional instruments under Scott Metcalfe’s direction and it was made possible by the many generous donations in Kathy’s memory.
Kathy’s greatest achievement was a life devoted to what really matters: music, peace, service, quiet beauty, and friendship. She will live on in all our hearts through the utter joy that she imparted as she lived each day fully and by the light that would come into her eyes when she sang. And she will live on in the music of Convivium Musicum which she helped to birth and yearly nurtured through her generosity, love and humor and through the offering of her many musical gifts.
It is through the generosity of the Benforado Family that Convivium Musicum was designated to receive contributions in Kathy’s memory after her passing. As an organization, we decided that the contributions we received in her memory should go to a special project befitting the life and spirit that Kathy shared with all of us. When we decided to perform a special concert with instrumentalists, we knew we had found the right way to honor our friend and the generosity of her family and friends.
WALTHAM. MASSACHUSETTS.
Kathryn "Kathy' Benforado, age 44, died on Thursday. October 14, 1999, from complications related to scleroderma.
Memorial contributions in Kathy's memory may be made to Tunefoolery, c/o North Charles Mental Health, Inc.,54 Essex St., 1st floor, Cambridge, MA 02139 or Convivium Musicum, c/o 17 Chester Place, Sommerville, MA 02144.
http://new.convivium.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2002-Kathy-Benforado-Concert.pdf
This concert is dedicated to the memory of Kathy Benforado, our fellow singer and friend, who died on October 14, 1999. Kathy touched many lives through her achievements as a teacher, researcher and traveler, but it was her passion and gift for Renaissance music that brought her to us.
From her energy for the countless tasks required in our musical endeavor, to her striving for a balance of excellence and conviviality in music-making, she was a “heart” in our midst.
Her wide musical tastes ranged from Brazilian sambas and Baroque lute to Cole Porter and Macedonian folk songs. An accomplished instrumentalist, she loved hosting “music parties,” friends together reading scores, jamming and eating good food. She left her friends and family a large collection of instruments: piano, harpsichord, double bass, violas da gamba, recorders, accordion, percussion and flute. Her gift for teaching took her in several directions over the years, but in the end, it was her music she most wanted to share. One parent described her as “an incomparably wonderful teacher.” One of her piano students wrote to her, “You are the best piano teacher I could ever have. You are my charm.”
She was drawn to nature and travel and her many adventures included a two year stint in Spain, a month in Argentina, and another in Guatemala. Fluent in Spanish, she would arrive with her bike and viola da gamba and spend the time traveling, making new friends, hiking the mountains and learning the local music. She would have loved this concert of Spanish music chosen especially for her. Her Sephardic relatives may well have sat on Sevilla’s docks, in 1492, awaiting the transports that would ferry them into exile to Turkey, in the case of the Benforados, via Portugal or Italy. Some Benforados today live in Mexico City, and the family has reestablished a connection with Spain in recent years. And yet Kathy was drawn to the music of her ancestors from deep within herself. She was a beautiful singer of a capella choral music, but also adored the color and vibrancy of period instrumental accompaniment. This is our first concert with professional instruments under Scott Metcalfe’s direction and it was made possible by the many generous donations in Kathy’s memory.
Kathy’s greatest achievement was a life devoted to what really matters: music, peace, service, quiet beauty, and friendship. She will live on in all our hearts through the utter joy that she imparted as she lived each day fully and by the light that would come into her eyes when she sang. And she will live on in the music of Convivium Musicum which she helped to birth and yearly nurtured through her generosity, love and humor and through the offering of her many musical gifts.
It is through the generosity of the Benforado Family that Convivium Musicum was designated to receive contributions in Kathy’s memory after her passing. As an organization, we decided that the contributions we received in her memory should go to a special project befitting the life and spirit that Kathy shared with all of us. When we decided to perform a special concert with instrumentalists, we knew we had found the right way to honor our friend and the generosity of her family and friends.
When I see this high school photo I instantly feel a warm connection with Kathy, but not sure if it was perhaps from the free school community? West high classes? Unitarian church? Amazing how a photo of someone's eyes can arouse memories. Maybe we smoked a joint together? Or shared snarky remarks in a class? But there was a closeness and humor between us. I guess this is a senior moment; not able to nail down all the details but feeling it deeply. I sent a Facebook message to her sister Marianne (Mr Horeb) (I found sibs names in the mother's obituary circa 2005) to clarify my memories.
tribute by Julie Brooks Noble