May 8, 2007
Remembering Christine Nield
On April 26, flutist Christine Nield-Capote, who'd been principal flutist of the Florida Philharmonic and then the Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia, died at 56 of a brain tumor.
At a concert that month by the Symphonia in Mizner Park, trumpeter Jeffrey Kaye dedicated his performance of a movement from the Haydn concerto to his colleague (pictured at right), as my colleague Sharon McDaniel reported.
I heard her play dozens of times over the years, though I never met her. I missed a chance to hear her at the beginning of the year in a Mozart flute quartet with the Delray String Quartet, and I don't know how many other performances she gave after that.
Her death has occasioned real grief among her friends, one of whom has asked me to offer up some blog space for a tribute, and I'm happy to do so.
I talked this morning to Gary Green, director of instrumental music at the University of Miami, where Nield, a Boca resident, was a flute professor. He said her death came as a real shock to the UM community, and he had high praise for her work as a musician and pedagogue.
"Christine was relentless in her teaching, and it was teaching of the highest standard, of the highest qualities of professionalism,” Green said. "You knew you were in the presence of greatness with Christine.”
Green said Nield's students are playing in orchestras throughout the world, and teaching other flute students all across the country.
"Her students loved her,” he said, and many will be returning to the area for a memorial service sometime this month.
Green said he worked with Nield on a large piece by David Maslanka called Song Book for Flute and Wind Ensemble (her recording of the work with Green conducting the UM Wind Ensemble is available for download here at this site), and that she always played it to perfection. "She was a consummate musician,” he said.
Green said he "missed her terribly,” and had just remembered the last time he had seen her.
"It was in my office here and we were talking about something, and as she left, I hugged her,” he said. "I'll remember that for the rest of my life.”
If you've got some memories of Christine Nield, please go ahead and post them below — I'd be particularly interested in hearing from her flute students.
Nield might not have been well-known to the public at large, but it's musicians like her that keep classical music alive and flourishing through the daily excellence they bring to their craft in universities, chamber groups, opera companies, wind ensembles and orchestras across the country.
And that's worth celebrating, even at a sad time like this.
Posted by at May 8, 2007 2:07 PMIt was with great sadness that we learned today from Iris van Eck of Christine's passing. My wife and I remember with great admiration her outstanding musicianship, whilst I got to know her as a friend during the several summer visits I made to Ft. Lauderdale as a guest of the Florida Philharmonic.
It was my task to deliver a series of lectures during the 'Beethoven by the beach' summer festivals, and although I had met Christine previously, it was during these annual visits that I grew to appreciate her artistry, as well as her kindness and natural warmth as a fellow human being.
There is an amazing section in the finale of Mahler's 'Resurrection' Symphony, where the solo flute is presented as the last vestige of earthly sound, following the great, unstoppable march of mankind towards judgement.
It is one of those truly ethereal, heart-stopping moments in the repertory, and I shall never forget hearing Christine play this passage when the Philharmonic and James Judd gave a number of performances of Mahler's Second in either 1998 or '99...I cannot remember which.
The dates don't count for much. But the musical impression was something that would always live in the memory. Here was something alive, exultant, glowing, and optimistic, and one of those episodes in life which only great music outstandingly delivered can ever hope to provide.
Christine played beautifully all the time, and I don't think she was capable of making an indifferent sound, even if she tried! So we've lost a magnificent artist, and a good friend. I know I shall not be alone in marking her passing, for which we are all so much the poorer.
Michael Jameson
Cellist and Music Critic.
London, UK.
Thanks so much to Greg for putting up this wonderful tribute to Christine Nield.
My friend and colleague Christine was instrumental in the start of the Chameleon Chamber Music Series. Together we went to the Leiser Center where we listened to the acoustics. Having never started or run a project like this, Christine applauded all my baby steps and so I found the encouragement to push through. Now the 5th season of this chamber music series has just past.
I have many very fond memories of many rehearsals(with lots of laughs) and many long phone conversations. She turned me on to bagels with egg salad and polished toenails among other things but, above all, she touched my heart with her very inspirational, beautiful playing. We walked different paths in the past couple of years, but remained close within our hearts. She was a very private person and I feel deeply saddened that I did not know her illness had returned until it was too late.
I will miss her terribly...
I had the pleasure of meeting Christine for the first time when I was 16, auditioning for the University of Miami School of Music. Her casual smile helped to put my at ease...and over the years, it was that same smile that all of us hoped to see as an affirmation that MAYBE we had practiced enough for that particular occasion.
I later got to work with Christine in the Florida Philharmonic first as a substitute bassoonist and later as personnel manager. I will always cherish her friendship and incredible artistry and admire her great strength. This is a devastating loss.
-Matt Corey
Posted by: matt at May 8, 2007 8:53 PM
