American violist Michael Tree has passed away from Parkinson’s disease – aged 83.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Leah Luboshutz, Veda Reynolds and Efram Zimbalist, Mr Tree was a founding and long term member of the Guarneri Quartet and the Marlboro Trio.

Throughout his illustrious six-decade performance career, he played extensively throughout the world – and recorded more than 80 chamber music works.

GUARNERI STRING QUARTET | MOZART STRING QUARTET NO. 21 IN D MAJOR | 4TH MVT

“From the first time I heard Michael Tree 63 years ago, I knew that I was in the presence not only of an outstanding instrumentalist but of a remarkable artist as well …” violinist Arnold Steinhardt has told The Violin Channel.

“It was my great privilege to have made music with Michael in the Guarneri String Quartet for a blissful forty-five years,” he has said.

“The world lost a great musician … I lost a dear friend when Michael Tree passed away earlier today … to me, he was the most wonderful colleague, a frequent combatant on the tennis court and a fellow Yankees fan,” Juilliard School faculty member, violinist Cho-Liang Lin has said.

Throughout his career, Mr Tree held teaching positions on faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School, Bard College Conservatory of Music, Manhattan School of Music, University of Maryland School of Music and Rutgers University.

Our condolences are with his family, friends, colleagues and students.

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