WRS Remembers Scott Reiss

After being without a music director for several years, in the spring of 2003 the Washington Recorder Society (WRS) approached Scott Reiss to see if he might be interested. We had several exploratory meetings about his role and what he could offer us. We were so in awe of his prodigious talent that we were both surprised and delighted that he accepted. The WRS board approved him unanimously, and we started the fall season with a sense of excitement. Scott brought great enthusiasm to our Society, giving short technique lessons at our Antiqua meetings, and overseeing the conduct of our small playing groups. His very presence was stimulating and reinvigorating. Scott was especially enthusiastic about the possibility of WRS reaching out to entire metropolitan community and showcasing the recorder in many different community venues. He had us designing a brochure to place at early music concerts, and a WRS banner to display when our groups played publicly. He also offered to put together well-matched groups of recorder players that he would coach. He was coaching four such groups at the time of his death, on December 14, 2005.

Scott was a delightful person to deal with. He was gentle and caring, full of ideas, deeply committed to the art of playing the recorder, and enthusiastic about promoting the recorder as a serious musical instrument. Our Society is still reeling from Scott’s death and wondering how we can possibly recover from this tragic loss.

Jane T. Udelson

Past Co-president, WRS