The French musician was aged 73
The death has been announced of French viola da gamba player and conductor Jay Bernfeld at the age of 73.
Born in 1952, Bernfeld was respected as both a soloist and a continuo player, and received acclaim for his recordings of works by Antoine Forqueray, François Couperin, Marin Marais and Johannn Schenk. He was also the founder and director of the Fuoco E Cenere period instrument ensemble.
Bernfeld’s accolades as a conductor include performances at venues including the Opéra de Rouen and the festival d’Aix-en-Provence, for which he served as assistant conductor, and at the Teatro Olimpico. His production of Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria was selected to inaugurate the Athens Music Palace’s Dimitri Mitropulos Concert Hall.
US conductor David Stern, with whom Bernfeld closely collaborated, paid tribute to the viola da gambist on social media:
‘I am finding it difficult to express my profound devastation that Jay Bernfeld, my long-time friend and musical pillar, is no longer with us. The decades of making music, dinners and jokes over the years led me to believe that I would never need to say goodbye.
‘Jay, you are already sorely missed, but I know you are somewhere hanging out with Monteverdi, Tebaldi and Puccini. They will take care of you as you lovingly took care of them all your life. Keep a plate of spaghetti warm for me when we will see each other again.’
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