A Reflection on Julian Kreeger (March 1, 1940 – November 22, 2024)

By Howard Herring for ARTBURST MIAMI

In my earliest days in Miami, Julian Kreeger took me out for Sunday brunch.  I was later to discover that this was his favorite meal of the week.  He was a man of specific enthusiasm.  We talked about his Miami.  I told him of the New World Symphony’s dreams.  We finished this first meeting with a stroll down Lincoln Road.  Four blocks into our walk, he interrupted the conversation to address me directly and firmly, “you must understand that I will always tell you what I think.”  What a forthright and promising way to begin a relationship.

As a pianist whose primary playing experience was as a chamber musician, I was to get to know Julian over the years as the gentleman who brought some of the finest chamber ensembles in the world to Miami.  A word about chamber music.  Small ensembles, one player to a part, no conductor, designed for small rooms – chambers.  The form flourished in 18th and 19th century Europe.   So how would such an art form speak to the emergent city that Miami has become?  The answer begins with friendship.

I don’t know when or why Julian decided to call his series Friends of Chamber Music.  When he did, he invited everyone to share his enthusiasm.  Those who attended were part of a friendship.  What could be better than that?

Beyond the immediate warmth and comradery of these concerts, I think there is a second understanding of chamber music and Miami that is worth consideration.

Going back to the art form, chamber music asks a great deal from all participants, independence on the part of the musicians, concentration from the audience, an embrace of the complexity of the expression, and comfort in the company of like-minded dreamers.

The analogy for me is that Miami is thriving because it is attracting independent thinkers who are energized by thorny challenges and opportunities, and who are coming together with others who share a vision for this new city – an activated friendship.

Contemplating a late Beethoven String Quartet and imagining a solution to a contemporary urban problem in the company of like-minded individuals have a commonality that is worth our contemplation.

May the Friends of Chamber Music series continue.  May Miami continue to find solutions in our own unique way.  And may we remember the many gifts Julian Kreeger gave us.

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