In Memoriam
Lillian Livingston
November 1, 1935 ~ August 4, 2024
Our hearts are heavy with the passing of Lillian Livingston on Sunday, August 4, 2024. Born Lillan Grace Malouf in Vienna, Austria on November 1, 1935, to Edith Malouf (nee Schüller) and Stephen David Malouf.
From a young age Lillian demonstrated great skill at the piano. At the age of four, she was featured on the radio as a prodigy. Playing and teaching piano would become her life’s work. Her first teacher was her grandmother, Cecilia Schüller, who moved to Peru, Indiana in 1938 to live with her family.
Lillian’s mother was a retired opera singer from the Vienna State Opera and her father became the town physician in Peru. Lillian not only emulated her mother’s sense of hospitality and love for cooking but inherited her family’s skills in music.
Those skills would enable her to study at Indiana University and Roosevelt University in Chicago. Her primary teachers were Ozan Marsh, Patricia Benkman, Mollie Margolis and Rudolf Ganz.
Lillian performed under the direction of Frank St. Ledger, Metropolitan Opera Coach, and performed numerous concerts for radio, television and festival orchestras including the Atheneum Orchestra under Constantine Borschoff and the Indianapolis Symphonette under George Curtis.
Lillian met Julian Livingston at Indiana University. They would marry August 8, 1959, and settle in Englishtown, New Jersey. Lillian and Julian were a dynamic musical couple in the community. Lillian would frequently assist Julian with his composing by playing his music so he could hear it. A skilled sight-reader at the piano, Lillian was Julian’s rehearsal pianist for a variety of musical collaborations and accompanied the Elysium Chorale for many years.
One of Lillian’s most beloved collaborators and friends was pianist Ingrid Clarfield. Ingrid and Lillian would give their first duo-piano concert in 1976 at the Red Bank Theatre, New Jersey. Performances with Ingrid include the following: a “Celebration of Piano and Voice” on the Westminster Performs! series (1999); “A Night of Music for Two Pianos” at the Battleground Arts Center (2000); “Dance Music from Around the World” sponsored by the Steinway Society of Princeton. Their dynamic duo-piano musical collaborations lasted 25 years; their friendship lasted a lifetime.
In 1987 Lillian began a second career teaching at Westminster Choir College (WCC) in Princeton, NJ. As an Adjunct Associate Professor of Piano, she taught in the piano department from 1987-2016. In June 2018, she retired from private studio teaching at the age of 83 years.
Throughout her career, Lillian presented, performed, and participated in a number of musical organizations. She served as president of the New Jersey Music Teachers Association (NJMTA), a branch of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), from 1984-1988 and 2007-2009.
In 2003 she presented “Motivating the Adult Student: We Shall Overcome” at the MTNA National Conference. Lillian would go on to champion adult learners and encourage piano studies for all ages. At Westminster Choir College she coordinated and ran the Professional Development Certificate Program. For a number of years, she coordinated and played alongside her students in Brookdale Community Colleges’ Monster Concerts (2004-2014).
For her decades of teaching, Lillian was honored with numerous awards. One award stated, “We are pleased to honor our esteemed colleague, Lillian Livingston for your outstanding musical achievements and important contributions to music education in the state of New Jersey. Your influence has extended to several generations of aspiring musicians, enriching all who have been privileged to know you. We commend your efforts as a private piano teacher, a leader within many musical organizations, a college educator and especially as a Duo-pianist. Throughout your career you have been a champion of the two-piano literature, both as performing artist and as a distinguished teacher. We honor you not only for your professional merits, but also for your idealism, your warmth, generosity, and beauty of spirit.”
Her awards include but are not limited to the following: The Arts Foundation of New Jersey: Joan Bettenbender Faculty Award for Excellence (1992); Cecilian Music Club: Laura R. Conover Pedagogy Award for Outstanding Teacher (1998/1999/2001) and Distinguished Pedagogy Award for Outstanding Teaching (2001/2002); The Piano Teachers Society of America: Madame Genia Robinor Pedagogy Award of Excellence (1990/1991/1992/1993/1994/1997); MTNA Foundation: Foundation Fellow for Distinguished Service to the Music Teaching Profession (2009); and NJMTA: Teacher of the Year Award (2013).
Lillian met her second love, Phil Finley in 1988. She embraced his daughters (Carol and Tricia), son (Mark) and their spouses (Diana Magos and Bill Rizzo). Lillian and Phil spent many hours attending concerts and enjoying the company of friends. Phil was a jazz aficionado who introduced Lillian to many performances by jazz artists.
Lillian is survived by daughters Susan and husband, Peter Washabaugh; Diana and husband Geoffrey Friedley. Grandchildren left behind are Pearce Washabaugh and wife Maša Aleckovic; Alec and wife Anna (Buzolits) Washabaugh; and Grace Friedley.
Also left behind are great grandchildren Mila and Luca Washabaugh and Winnie and Arthur Washabaugh.
Lillian is survived by her sister, Evelyn Binz, niece Victoria Whaley and son Brandon Whaley.
MTNA has set up a foundation in Lillian’s name. Please indicate that your contribution is “in memory of” Lillian Livingston. Checks may also be sent to: MTNA Foundation Fund, 600 Vine St., Ste. 1710, Cincinnati, OH 45202 (please indicate Lillian Livingston in memo line of the check).
Tribute to Lillian by Ingrid Clarfield
How does someone share their love and admiration for someone like Lillian?
Very simply, I am the luckiest person to have had Lillian in my life as my best friend for close to 50 years and as my two-piano partner for 30 years from 1977- 2007 (when we stopped performing because I could no longer play, due to a stroke). Anyone who knew Lillian always mentions her beautiful smile, unbelievable positivity, optimism and dedication to her friends and students.
There was no one more eager to support her friends and her colleagues. She was totally dedicated to her profession and all the different aspects in which she participated. While she had a large private studio of children and adults, she also taught at Westminster Choir College and the Westminster Conservatory where she founded the Westminster Professional Certificate Program and served as its director for over 20 years. With all these teaching commitments she still made the time to serve two terms as President of NJMTA where she led the organization with total commitment and dedication. In addition, she participated in many other teaching organizations and was one of the most sought-after judges in the tri-state area.
The consummate professional, everyone knew they could count on Lillian if needed for anything. Lillian’s passing is a tremendous loss to all the thousands of teachers and students she touched through the years.
Memory of Lillian: 9/18/2024
While there are countless moments of encouraging opportunities, funny experiences and stories to share about Lillian Livingston’s impact on my life and work, here is likely the most personally meaningful moment we shared together.
In late February of 2002, on a Tuesday afternoon right before I started my Westminster Conservatory teaching schedule, I learned that my father was nearing the end of his life and was very close to death. He was in a nursing home in Albuquerque, NM. My sister and her family were with him.
When I got the news from the nursing home, I immediately left my studio and went to speak with my boss in his office. Scott Hoerl was so very supportive; I was at a loss to know what to do about my afternoon lessons - to cancel or to teach. He reassured me that I could leave if I wished and that the office staff would make calls to cancel my lessons.
Just as I returned to my studio, I heard a knock at my door and it was Lillian. She had no idea the personal crisis I was in but could obviously tell something was wrong. I was sobbing and told her what was happening and that I didn’t know what to do. Lillian immediately hugged me, held my shoulders and looked straight in my eyes and lovingly encouraged me to stay and teach my afternoon students. She reinforced what I knew in my heart, what my father would want me to do. Lillian told me “ Your father would want you to go ahead and meet your students”. She was right. Lillian was a rock for me that afternoon. I was able to pull myself together and meet with my students although it took a lot of focus to teach that day. It was not only the right thing to do - it was therapeutic. Driving home that evening, I learned that my father had passed in the afternoon as expected but I will never forget the serendipitous moment that Lillian helped me. I have been forever grateful for her strength.
Miriam Eley
Back to year 1991, when I first met Ms. Livingston at her house in Englishtown, NJ for taping her TV show “Battleground”, until visiting her the very last time at the nursing home she was staying in Michigan a few years ago, she has been a dearest friend, a great mentor, a thoughtful counsellor to me for nearly 30 years!! Her insightful advices and hearty support helped me overcome so many challenges one after another ; her biggest, kindest, unforgettable smile comforted and warmed my heart when I was going through difficult times ; her distinguished bright voice always cheered me up every time I phoned her......
Ms. Livingston was truly an amazing and remarkable musician, and her big- hearted, caring, selfless and shining personality will forever live on in our hearts......
Stella Xu