Frederick Noonan, Programmer for Lincoln Center, has Died

Noonan conceived programs for The Art of Song, the Mostly Mozart Festival, and the Great Performers series, among others

Frederick Noonan has passed away at the age of 83, following a series of strokes.

Born in Middlebury, Vermont in 1941 and raised on a dairy farm, Noonan pursued a broad range of interests in the first years of his career. After studying at Amherst College he was drafted into the army, where he studied German at the Defense Language Institute and was then deployed to Germany as a member of U. S. Intelligence.

In 1971, after studying English Literature at McGill University, Noonan became an usher at Lincoln Center, and over time, worked his way up to Associate Director of Programming — a post he would hold for the next twenty years.

A particular focus of Noonan's tenure was lieder repertoire, which brought his love of the German language to the fore. He spearheaded The Art of Song, which was the most significant series of lieder performances ever presented in the United States.

He was also responsible for the programming of the Mostly Mozart Festival and the Great Performers Series, both of which introduced several emerging artists who would go on to hold prominent positions in the music world.

Noonan made a range of other contributions to musical life, including his translation from the German of Beethoven Remembered: The Biographical Notes of Franz Wegeler and Ferdinand Ries. This publication marked the first occasion that the book was available in English.

Our condolences to Noonan's family, friends, and colleagues.