Mourning the Loss of Longtime Faculty Ford Lallerstedt
We are deeply saddened to share that longtime faculty member, Ford Lallerstedt, chair of musical studies, died on May 20 in North Carolina. He was 76 years old.
A member of Curtis’ faculty since 1973, Dr. Lallerstedt has been an integral part of the school’s educational experience for more than 50 years. Nearly every Curtis student during this period has spent time in his classroom—and their lives and careers are better for it.
A foundation of excellence
A native of Atlanta, Ford Mylius Lallerstedt began studying piano at age five. He went on to earn his Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Juilliard, where he won prizes in organ performance and was awarded teaching fellowships in piano and solfège.
As a concert organist, he made his New York debut at Alice Tully Hall in 1979, later performing in Europe and throughout the United States—as both a soloist and accompanist for his wife, mezzo-soprano Brenda Boozer. A gifted improviser, Dr. Lallerstedt also created and recorded over 200 pieces for piano, as well as organ, including his 24 Improvised Preludes and Fugues.
A legacy of mentorship
In his early 20s, while still a student at Juilliard, he was invited to join the musical studies faculty at Curtis. During his more than 50-year tenure, he conducted the Curtis Chamber Orchestra, helped introduce historically informed performance practice to the orchestral studies program, and taught numerous musical studies courses in counterpoint, music history, and solfège.
In late 2023, he published Aspects of Music, which explores how the concepts of counterpoint could be key to understanding how the brain makes sense of music.
Most meaningfully, he helped shape the lives and careers of countless outstanding artists—such as conductor Teddy Abrams (’08), composer Jennifer Higdon (’88), and pianist Yuja Wang (’08).
Dr. Lallerstedt also served on the faculties of Juilliard, State University of New York at Purchase, Mannes College of Music (organ), the Tanglewood Music Center (conducting studies), and the Britt Music and Arts Festival’s Orchestral Fellowship program. He served on the board of directors of the Coudert Institute Palm Beach and was previously the director of music at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Mt. Kisco, N.Y.
Join our tribute
We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, mezzo-soprano Brenda Boozer, and to his many current and former students, colleagues, and friends. We will miss him greatly.
As a tribute to Dr. Lallerstedt, we are collecting notes and photographs to share with the Curtis community later this year. We invite you to share your remembrances by sending them to alumni@curtis.edu.
