“In the midst of deep sadness, it has been heartwarming to read the flood of personal tributes and remembrances of Geoff Nuttall that have appeared over the few days since his passing. Not surprising is the unity of expression among them: Geoff lived his life creating harmony, musical and personal, that affected and embraced all those he touched, from the practice room to the stage, from his family to his audience, from his mentors to his students. Upon meeting Geoff, one did not have to develop a friendship; he was your friend right away. Would that more of us could do that so naturally, and so often.
Geoff’s relationships with me, Wu Han, and Music@Menlo were very special. Hearing the St. Lawrence Quartet at their very outset, and working with them through the Hartt School of Music, was my earliest experience coaching a soon-to-become world-class ensemble which we in the Emerson Quartet realized would succeed no matter what we did or did not do for them. The St. Lawrence, driven and unified by Geoff’s unstoppable energy and enthusiasm, was like a runaway train heading somewhere wonderful, and we all knew it.
When Music@Menlo began in 2003, the Silicon Valley soil was already enriched by the work of the St. Lawrence Quartet through their residency at Stanford University, and indeed, unlike us, they actually lived in the Valley. Through the SLSQ we came to know Menlo School, and it was only natural that the quartet should participate in our pilot festival, performing the Ravel String Quartet on that historic concert of August 3rd, 2002, a little more than 20 years ago. Since the Quartet came to Stanford, the work of the St. Lawrence in the Valley has been an eternal flame of music that glows brightly, warming hearts and opening minds, and for Music@Menlo, that continuous presence has been very, very important.
We are fortunate to have heard many memorable performances of Geoff’s, most recently a lively Haydn Quartet only last May in Bing Hall in which he displayed not one ounce of fatigue, lack of focus or technique, or diminished good cheer. But perhaps one that truly stands out was the performance the St. Lawrence gave of Schubert’s Cello Quintet to close Music@Menlo’s 2005 Beethoven festival. We had journeyed through Beethoven’s life, and the final concert, titled “Into Eternity” included Beethoven’s final works followed by the Schubert, composed less than a year after Beethoven’s death and only months before Schubert’s own. I was privileged to be the guest cellist. As we recall the concert and its deep significance, it is natural to connect its essence with where our dear Geoff has gone now: into eternity. We shall always remember him, and his spirit shall always be with us.
–David and Wu Han