We are devastated to announce that our dear friend and colleague, Anne Judisch, passed away in March. A wonderful person and musician, we are simply heartbroken. As Jere Lantz said, Anne has been like “the mother of the orchestra” for so many years. Anne played violin with our organization for more than sixty years, yet we thought we’d have many more years with her. She will be deeply missed.
Services have been planned for April 1, 2023. Read details within her online obituary.
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Anne Judisch was part of the Rochester Symphony for longer and held a greater variety of roles than anyone else in the organization’s history. She began playing in the orchestra in 1959 as a young teenager and continued playing until her death on March 15, 2023. Although she started her Rochester Symphony career in the back of the 2nd violin section, at various times she performed as concertmaster, assistant principal 1st violin, and section 1st violin. In addition, she even soloed as a classically-trained vocalist and made her Rochester Symphony conducting debut as our Aspiring Conductor winner in 2011!
Beyond her many years of contributions musically and in fundraising support, Anne was involved in countless education programs. For many years she was a key member of the Friends of the Rochester Symphony, planning events and helping raise funds in support of the symphony. She also acted as an unofficial social coordinator of the orchestra and–for many years–she and her husband, Jim, hosted annual post-concert gatherings for musicians at their home. Anne was the first in line to get to know any new member of the orchestra, and her care for other people was legendary. Everyone considered her a friend.
Anne loved combining socializing with music. Anyone who attended events with her string quartet providing background music can attest to the number of times people would interrupt the music to say hi… She seemed to know everyone in Rochester. In that vein, we look forward to celebrating Anne’s memory on Saturday with conversation, stories about Anne, and informal music. We would love to see you there!
Amy Lindstrom
President & CEO
Rochester Symphony
