Phyllis Susen Barbash / PSO Harpist - Top Music Educator
It takes a luminous second career to outshine the distinction of being a Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra musician, but Phyllis had the drive & desire to manage the feat.
Mrs. Barbash died at her home in of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis often called 'Lou Gehrig's disease.' Mrs. Barbash attended the Manhattan School of Music & eventually gained a post in the PSO as a harpist. She performed in that prestigious position from 1966 - 1971.
But she felt the tug of another calling. "Harpists - you know how much they play," said Barbara Thompson, executive director of the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras. "She was an energetic person & needed to do more."
Spurred in part by Dr. Anthony Susen, the Pittsburgh neurosurgeon who was then her husband, & by the urging of Marie Maazel, who ran the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, she threw herself into the field of music education. In 1974, she founded the Three Rivers Training Orchestra w/Bernard Goldberg as music director. In 1985, the organization was to merge w/another youth orchestra to become the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras. Mrs. Barbash took to her new role as education advocate quickly.
"The youth orchestra is where she got her feet wet in education, fund-raising & interacting in schools" Thompson said.
After 15 years, the Philadelphia Orchestra hired her to be its director of education. She ran that program so successfully from 1988 to 1994 that Carnegie Hall in NY hired her to revamp its program, which she did from 1994-2001.
"She went very rapidly up the ladder," said Steven Barbash, her husband. "We used to say its a long to Carnegie Hall."
"She basically took an education program that was in its infancy and built it into something that is very well respected, not only in New York City but in the whole country," said Lisa Halasz, the present Carnegie Hall director of education. "She is probably the most famous educator to come out of a cultural institution like an orchestra."
Much of Mrs. Barbash's popularity was due to her endearing personality. "She was very public & social," said her husband. "She was utterly unpretentious, but she was a natural aristocrat. She could get people to do things by acts of will."
❤~★✿❤☆❤✿☆★~◕✿•*❤•~*☆*~•❤*•✿◕~★☆✿❤☆❤✿★~❤
11 Jul 2002 Andrew Druckenbrod, Post-Gazette Classical Music Critic Pittsburgh, PA
It takes a luminous second career to outshine the distinction of being a Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra musician, but Phyllis had the drive & desire to manage the feat.
Mrs. Barbash died at her home in of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis often called 'Lou Gehrig's disease.' Mrs. Barbash attended the Manhattan School of Music & eventually gained a post in the PSO as a harpist. She performed in that prestigious position from 1966 - 1971.
But she felt the tug of another calling. "Harpists - you know how much they play," said Barbara Thompson, executive director of the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras. "She was an energetic person & needed to do more."
Spurred in part by Dr. Anthony Susen, the Pittsburgh neurosurgeon who was then her husband, & by the urging of Marie Maazel, who ran the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, she threw herself into the field of music education. In 1974, she founded the Three Rivers Training Orchestra w/Bernard Goldberg as music director. In 1985, the organization was to merge w/another youth orchestra to become the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras. Mrs. Barbash took to her new role as education advocate quickly.
"The youth orchestra is where she got her feet wet in education, fund-raising & interacting in schools" Thompson said.
After 15 years, the Philadelphia Orchestra hired her to be its director of education. She ran that program so successfully from 1988 to 1994 that Carnegie Hall in NY hired her to revamp its program, which she did from 1994-2001.
"She went very rapidly up the ladder," said Steven Barbash, her husband. "We used to say its a long to Carnegie Hall."
"She basically took an education program that was in its infancy and built it into something that is very well respected, not only in New York City but in the whole country," said Lisa Halasz, the present Carnegie Hall director of education. "She is probably the most famous educator to come out of a cultural institution like an orchestra."
Much of Mrs. Barbash's popularity was due to her endearing personality. "She was very public & social," said her husband. "She was utterly unpretentious, but she was a natural aristocrat. She could get people to do things by acts of will."
❤~★✿❤☆❤✿☆★~◕✿•*❤•~*☆*~•❤*•✿◕~★☆✿❤☆❤✿★~❤
11 Jul 2002 Andrew Druckenbrod, Post-Gazette Classical Music Critic Pittsburgh, PA
Phyllis Susen Barbash / PSO Harpist - Top Music Educator
It takes a luminous second career to outshine the distinction of being a Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra musician, but Phyllis had the drive & desire to manage the feat.
Mrs. Barbash died at her home in of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis often called 'Lou Gehrig's disease.' Mrs. Barbash attended the Manhattan School of Music & eventually gained a post in the PSO as a harpist. She performed in that prestigious position from 1966 - 1971.
But she felt the tug of another calling. "Harpists - you know how much they play," said Barbara Thompson, executive director of the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras. "She was an energetic person & needed to do more."
Spurred in part by Dr. Anthony Susen, the Pittsburgh neurosurgeon who was then her husband, & by the urging of Marie Maazel, who ran the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, she threw herself into the field of music education. In 1974, she founded the Three Rivers Training Orchestra w/Bernard Goldberg as music director. In 1985, the organization was to merge w/another youth orchestra to become the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras. Mrs. Barbash took to her new role as education advocate quickly.
"The youth orchestra is where she got her feet wet in education, fund-raising & interacting in schools" Thompson said.
After 15 years, the Philadelphia Orchestra hired her to be its director of education. She ran that program so successfully from 1988 to 1994 that Carnegie Hall in NY hired her to revamp its program, which she did from 1994-2001.
"She went very rapidly up the ladder," said Steven Barbash, her husband. "We used to say its a long to Carnegie Hall."
"She basically took an education program that was in its infancy and built it into something that is very well respected, not only in New York City but in the whole country," said Lisa Halasz, the present Carnegie Hall director of education. "She is probably the most famous educator to come out of a cultural institution like an orchestra."
Much of Mrs. Barbash's popularity was due to her endearing personality. "She was very public & social," said her husband. "She was utterly unpretentious, but she was a natural aristocrat. She could get people to do things by acts of will."
❤~★✿❤☆❤✿☆★~◕✿•*❤•~*☆*~•❤*•✿◕~★☆✿❤☆❤✿★~❤
11 Jul 2002 Andrew Druckenbrod, Post-Gazette Classical Music Critic Pittsburgh, PA
It takes a luminous second career to outshine the distinction of being a Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra musician, but Phyllis had the drive & desire to manage the feat.
Mrs. Barbash died at her home in of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis often called 'Lou Gehrig's disease.' Mrs. Barbash attended the Manhattan School of Music & eventually gained a post in the PSO as a harpist. She performed in that prestigious position from 1966 - 1971.
But she felt the tug of another calling. "Harpists - you know how much they play," said Barbara Thompson, executive director of the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras. "She was an energetic person & needed to do more."
Spurred in part by Dr. Anthony Susen, the Pittsburgh neurosurgeon who was then her husband, & by the urging of Marie Maazel, who ran the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, she threw herself into the field of music education. In 1974, she founded the Three Rivers Training Orchestra w/Bernard Goldberg as music director. In 1985, the organization was to merge w/another youth orchestra to become the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras. Mrs. Barbash took to her new role as education advocate quickly.
"The youth orchestra is where she got her feet wet in education, fund-raising & interacting in schools" Thompson said.
After 15 years, the Philadelphia Orchestra hired her to be its director of education. She ran that program so successfully from 1988 to 1994 that Carnegie Hall in NY hired her to revamp its program, which she did from 1994-2001.
"She went very rapidly up the ladder," said Steven Barbash, her husband. "We used to say its a long to Carnegie Hall."
"She basically took an education program that was in its infancy and built it into something that is very well respected, not only in New York City but in the whole country," said Lisa Halasz, the present Carnegie Hall director of education. "She is probably the most famous educator to come out of a cultural institution like an orchestra."
Much of Mrs. Barbash's popularity was due to her endearing personality. "She was very public & social," said her husband. "She was utterly unpretentious, but she was a natural aristocrat. She could get people to do things by acts of will."
❤~★✿❤☆❤✿☆★~◕✿•*❤•~*☆*~•❤*•✿◕~★☆✿❤☆❤✿★~❤
11 Jul 2002 Andrew Druckenbrod, Post-Gazette Classical Music Critic Pittsburgh, PA
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