Pianist and educator Dr. Arkady Aronov passed away in New York City on October 2, 2025, at the age of 95. Born in 1929, Arkady grew up in St. Petersburg, Russia (then Leningrad). After two years of lessons, he was accepted at age 11 into the Preparatory Division of the Leningrad Conservatory, where he studied with Elisaveta Blumenfeld. Later, as a conservatory student, he studied with Samarii Savshinsky, earning both his Bachelor, Master, and eventually doctoral degrees there. He taught at the Conservatory from 1960 until his emigrated to the United States in 1977.
Arkady was an acclaimed, prolific recitalist. He performed 100 works of 39 contemporary composers, and his overall repertoire included 45 complete recital programs as well as 24 piano concertos. He was acclaimed by The New York Times as “a pianist of high caliber.” Soviet Music (then leading Russian music journal) wrote “Aronov is a universalist. He presents any music with equal clarity, expression and finality.”
Arkady became a distinguished member of the piano faculties at the Mannes College of Music beginning in 1977 and at Manhattan School of Music in 1984. He was beloved for his kind demeanor, sense of humor, and keen solutions to the students’ performance issues in his studios. He retired in 2019.
Click here to read more about Dr. Aronov.
Jazz pianist, arranger, composer, and educator Jim McNeely passed away in New York City on September 26, 2025, at the age of 76. Born in Chicago in 1949, Jim attended the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana), rapidly earning a reputation as an upcoming composer of note. After moving to New York in 1975, his learned post-bop piano style quickly led him to long term work with contemporaries such as David Liebman (former faculty) and John Scofield, but his grounding in and flexibility with slightly older styles earned him multi-year tenures in the bands of Stan Getz and Phil Woods.
The gig for which Jim is perhaps best known, his tenure with the Village Vanguard Orchestra, began in 1978, when it was known as the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra. Jones departed in 1979, making it the Mel Lewis Orchestra with Bob Brookmeyer as music director. Brookmeyer became a crucial mentor to Jim, who went on to arrange extensively for the Vanguard Orchestra himself. Jim truly came into his own as an arranger with the 1989 album East Coast Blow Out, featuring Marc Johnson, John Scofield, Adam Nussbaum, and the WDR Big Band. The album is still considered a landmark today for big band writers. Future big band releases starred fellow jazz luminaries Renee Rosnes, Liebman, Richie Beirach (MM ’72), and Chris Potter (MM ’92).
Jim earned his place as one of the preeminent, practicing arranging authorities in Jazz and his reputation as a player while maintaining his notable tenure at Manhattan School of Music. Jim was a distinguished member of MSM’s Jazz Arts faculty for 14 years, teaching composition and directing ensembles until his retirement as Professor Emeritus in 2022. His passion for teaching inspired hundreds of young musicians and composers. He lived to see many of his former students, fellow musicians, and collaborators celebrate him just weeks before his death at a tribute concert at the DiMenna Center.
Click here to read Jim’s obituary by Ethan Iverson in JazzTimes.
Choreographer, producer and educator Francis Patrelle passed away on December 27, 2025, at the age of 78 in Pensacola, Florida. Francis — or “Uncle Frankie,” as he was affectionately known — joined the Related Voice Studies faculty at Manhattan School of Music in 1982 and taught Movement for Singers until his retirement in 2021. The New York Times’ published obituary can be viewed here.
Francis was born in 1947 to Elvira and Joseph Patrelle. He grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and moved to New York City to attend Juilliard, where he studied under Sir Antony Tudor. A professional dance instructor since the 1970s, Francis mentored generations of dancers across New York City and beyond. Following a dance-filled childhood in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, he studied ballet as a student at The Juilliard School, joining the faculty at Ballet Academy East when it opened in 1979. In 1988, he founded Dances Patrelle, for which he choreographed more than 50 original ballets — including the company’s popular annual Yorkville Nutcracker — and created dances with luminaries like Cynthia Gregory, Marcelo Gomes, Jenifer Ringer, and James Fayette. He later became resident choreographer for St. Louis Ballet.
Francis choreographed several critically acclaimed MSM Opera Theatre productions, including The Mother of Us All (Virgil Thomson) in December 2013; Street Scene (Kurt Weill) in May 2008; Two Widows (Bedřich Smetana) in April 1998; a Donizetti double-bill in April 1996; The Merry Wives of Windsor (Otto Nicolai) in 1995; Une éducation manquée (Emmanuel Chabrier) in 1994; Iphigénie en Tauride (Christoph Willibald Gluck) in April 1993; and Chérubin (Jules Massenet), which starred then-MSM student Susan Graham in the title role, in March 1987.
Jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer Richie Beirach (MM ’72) passed away on January 26, 2026, at the age of 78 in Cologne, Germany. Born in 1948 in Brooklyn, Richie studied classical piano from age 5-13, until he realized that he wanted to play jazz. In high school, he studied with Lennie Tristano and in college, Theory and Composition with Ludmila Ulehla (BM ’47, MM ‘48) at Manhattan School of Music. Shortly after completing his Master of Music degree at MSM, Richie began a year as the pianist in Stan Getz’s touring Quartet. In 1973, Richie and longtime friend and collaborator David Liebman began recording various projects together, and several albums as a part of the group Quest with Ron McClure and Billy Hart (originally George Mraz and Al Foster, respectively). Other recording collaborations included Chet Baker, John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, and George Mraz.
Richie’s solo albums were released by ECM in the 1970s, drawing critical acclaim and establishing him as one of the dominant forward-thinking jazz pianists of the time. His command of post-bop counterpoint and angular harmony (and melody) resulted in his nickname, “(The) Code.” He continued to record as a leader throughout his life. In 2000 Beirach moved to Germany, where he taught jazz piano at the Mendelssohn-Bartholdy high school for some time, and wrote a handful of advanced piano mastery texts such as The Lineage of Modern Jazz Piano.
Click here to read Richie’s obituary in JazzTimes.
Composer and pianist Christopher Berg (’72) passed away on February 8, 2026, at the age of 76 in New York City. Born in Detroit in 1949, Christopher studied piano with Robert Helps at Manhattan School of Music. Other mentors included Noel Farand and Richard Hundley.
Best known for his art songs, Berg composed musical settings of texts by Paul O’Hara, Gertrude Stein, Stevie Smith, Vladimir Nabokov, and many more. He was a Yaddo fellow as well as the recipient of grants from Meet the Composer, American Music Center, The National Endowment for the Arts, and the Martha Baird Rockefeller Fund for Music.
Christopher’s music has been published by Oxford University Press, recorded on Albany Records and Opus One, and performed at Paris’ Musée Carnavalet and The New York Festival of Song, among others.
Click here to read Chris’s obituary.
Pianist and educator Dr. Charles Bryan Nelson, Jr. (MM ’54) passed away on December 8, 2025, at home in Alexandria, Virginia, at the age of 94. Born in 1931 in Marion, Virginia, Charles studied composition at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, transferring to the Juilliard School of Music as a piano performance major and graduating in 1953. He earned his Master of Music degree at Manhattan School of Music in 1954, studying with Robert Goldsand.
Charles held faculty positions at East Tennessee State College (now University), Bob Jones University, and University of Dayton. After earning his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Indiana University in 1963, Charles served as Director of Instrumental Music for Fairfax County, VA Public Schools from 1964-1987. In retirement, Charles enjoyed frequent international travel, friends and family, and weekly ice skating. In 2024, Charles was proud to create and endow the Charles B. Nelson, Jr. Scholarship in Classical Piano at MSM.
Click here to read Charles’s obituary.
Ellen Ravnan (BM ’75) passed away on January 22, 2026 at the age of 71 in Spokane, Washington. Born in 1954, she attended North Carolina School of the Arts and went on to earn her Bachelor of Music at Manhattan School of Music, studying under Lillian Fuchs. She earned her Master of Music degree at the University of Illinois, studying under Guillermo Perich.
Ellen performed as a soloist and orchestral musician with such organizations as the Madison Symphony, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Denver Symphony, Cheyenne Symphony, and Colorado Music Festival. She served as Principal Viola of the Arapahoe Philharmonic and Music Sacra.
In 1982, Ellen made a pivotal shift toward music education. After building a district string program in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, she spent the main part of her educational career in Colorado’s Cherry Creek School District, teaching predominantly middle school students. Her eighth grade orchestra were twice selected to perform at the Colorado Music Educators Association Conference. She also earned the distinction of Cherry Creek School District Teacher of the Year. She remained active in music education until her move to Spokane in 2023.
Click here to read Ellen’s obituary.
Violist Meagan Elizabeth Turner (’19) died at the age of 32 in October 2025. She was a PhD student at Michigan State University. From Toronto, Meagan was a talented player who studied at the University of Toronto, The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music (with Sam Rhodes) prior to Michigan State. A member of Juilliard and Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect fellowship, she performed throughout four continents. Professionally, she also performed with the Toronto and Detroit Symphony Orchestras, among others.
Click here to read Meagan’s obituary.
Beatrice “Bebe” Shopp Waring (BM ’52) passed away on October 4, 2025, at the age of 95 in Rockport, Massachusetts. Born in 1930 in Illinois, Bebe grew up in Hopkins, Minnesota. In 1948, she was crowned Minnesota’s first Miss America. She graduated with a Bachelor of Music Degree (Percussion) in 1952.
She married Bayard Waring at the conclusion of her degree and settled in Weston, Connecticut, where she grew her family and raised four daughters. She ran the Spinning Wheel Inn restaurant for 8 years with her husband. In the 1970’s, Bea and Bayard moved to Rockport, Massachusetts where she became very active in the community. As a lay minister at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, she ran morning prayer and was a member of the vestry. She served as Chair of the Board of Gloucester Stage for many years, played percussion in the Cape Ann Symphony and sang in the local singing group, “Share the Music”.
Bebe remained actively involved with the Miss America Organization for 78 years, including judging, emceeing, and mentoring young women. Separately, she also toured with the USO. Throughout her life, her greatest investment was in her family, which was her greatest joy.
Click here to read Bebe’s obituary.
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