NEC Board Remembers Gunther Schuller

One of a Series

Former NEC President Gunther Schuller’s death on June 21 has brought forth so many incredible stories and memories from those who worked, studied, and performed with him. Many NEC board members were in office for the duration of Gunther’s decade-long presidency. After his tenure at the Conservatory ended, they remained close to him throughout the years; their unique recollections of Gunther recount his vision, genius, and unstoppable creative dynamism.

David Scudder

In 1967, David W. Scudder started on the board of NEC as Treasurer. He stayed on through Gunther Schuller’s tenure from 1967 to 1977, after which he remained on the board. David was Chairman of the Board from 1991 to 2002, and then chaired the Capital Campaign from 2002 to 2008. He is now a Life Trustee.

Some Personal Memories

“Over the years, I kept up with Gunther. I would call him on his birthday and stayed informed about his new music. I’m not sure if many people know about this, but Gunther and John Updike created a children’s opera together in the 1970s, and I introduced them. I was a very good friend of John’s and he had written this story, “A Fisherman’s Wife.” He wrote the libretto and Gunther wrote the score. It was amazing to see these two geniuses work together. John was amazing to watch and very disciplined from morning to night about his writing. Gunther was the complete opposite: he had at least twelve things going on at once, but he knew when he had to get things done. Gunther was not a very disciplined person when it came to time. He tended to do things very last-minute and say “I have it all, it is in my mind.” This was harrowing for John, but somehow they did their collaboration and it turned into a very interesting curiosity.

"Gunther’s wife, Marjorie, was also a wonderful woman, and I knew her well. They had a wonderful relationship; she would help Gunther slow down and focus more. It was a great tragedy that she died so young, they were an amazingly matched couple and it was very sad for Gunther when he lost her.

On Gunther’s Determination

“I was Treasurer of the Board for the ten years Gunther was president of New England Conservatory. As treasurer, I was supposed to report to the Board on finances. I held my position from the ‘60s to the ‘70s, and as you can imagine, the accounting was primitive. We really didn’t know how much Gunther’s programs were costing until the end of the year. At that point, we had a difficult and very interesting time to follow his vision financially. His creative power and determination to make NEC a more modern conservatory was unparalleled up to that point.

"Realizing that we were in need of more support, Gunther and I and the NEC chairman of the board at that time went to Manhattan to talk to a major foundation and an alumnus who had been very generous in the past. During these meetings, we told them we were doing extraordinary things and needed help, and we were able to get it! The reason was because the investors responded to Gunther’s creativity and his breadth of knowledge. They saw that he really knew how to make NEC a new, contemporary music school. So, with their new investments, we were able to hire new administration and staff to support Gunther’s system. We had a fair amount of financial scrambling and it was exciting, but we did it. We kind of held our breath and had to think of things quickly. Those of us on the board had to persuade the donors that we really did know what we were doing, but not without certain moments of trepidation, and in the end, we were successful.

On Gunther’s Creative Genius

“Gunther was truly one of the most creative geniuses I’ve ever met. He was such a creative force and in so many capacities: as a conductor, composer, educator, and administrator … I’ve actually never come across someone whose genius was so broad. He was like a controlled hurricane and totally astonishing. He set out to completely regenerate an institution that was venerable, but in dire need of modernization. He established a jazz studies program, a third stream program, hired new faculty, many of whom are still at NEC, and also expanded the administration.

"It was an extraordinary ride to work with him. Watching him in action was like being on a fast-speeding racecar without knowing where you would end up. The experience was truly something to behold. Really Gunther’s ten years at NEC should never be forgotten."

Jim Terry

New England Conservatory Life Trustee James L. Terry discussed how Gunther revitalized the school, created inventive programming and made key hires. Although his ideas were not always well received by the administration and the board, Terry believes Gunther was just ahead of his time.

“Gunther was an amazing individual who was ferocious about his vision, which was 100% correct. He wanted NEC to truly evolve as an institution … he wanted top-quality faculty members and greater musical diversity. He imagined a new wave at NEC during his tenure and became its architect. At the time, he was confronted with a lot of differing opinions, but he never held a grudge. I know the Conservatory would not be what it is today without him.”

Ken Burnes

Since 2014, Kennett F. Burnes has been Chair of New England Conservatory's Board of Trustees. Burnes previously chaired NEC's Board of Visitors from its founding in 2003.

"Gunther Schuller’s presidency was a tremendously poignant time in NEC’s history. He brought the Conservatory through a time of exciting transition; and with the genesis of Third Stream, he birthed a new area of study that continues to be unique and avant-garde. We celebrate his legacy, his genius, and his many contributions to music and to the Conservatory.”