• Most Respected Classical Music Platform
  • #classicalForever
TOP
Blair Tindall
(PC: David Howells)

Oboist and Journalist Blair Tindall Has Died, Aged 63

Tindall's famous 2005 memoir, "Mozart in the Jungle," was adapted for television in 2014

 

The freelance oboist and journalist Blair Tindall has passed away at the age of 63, on account of cardiovascular disease.

Tindall will be best remembered for her 2005 memoir, titled Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music. The book lifted the lid on aspects of the classical music lifestyle that sit outside public perception of the profession — such as the prevalence of drug and alcohol abuse in the industry, and the often unsavory intersection of sex and employment.

"Sex and drugs are a show of exuberance in rock," Tindall told The Daily Telegraph in 2005. "In the world of classical music, they are more of an escape from a sense of confinement and depression."

"I did notice when I became involved in a relationship with someone in the business that my work picked up," she added. "You need all the friends you can get. The music world is very incestuous."

The memoir was hugely successful: in 2014 it was adapted into a television show starring Lola Kirke as a character modeled on Tindall and Gael García Bernal as the flamboyant conductor Rodrigo. The show received a rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and won a Golden Globe in 2016.

Born in 1960 in Chapel Hill, Tindall studied for her bachelor's and master's degrees at the Manhattan School of Music. As a freelancer, she appeared with orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the Orchestra of St. Luke's.

After retraining as a journalist at Stanford, Tindall wrote for a range of outlets, including The Contra Costa Times and The San Francisco Examiner. She was briefly married to Bill Nye (the "Science Guy"), though it later transpired that the marriage license had been invalid and the pair split just seven weeks later.

Tindall is survived by her fiancé, Chris Sattlberger.

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

upcoming events

february 2025

07febAll Day17International "Franz Schubert and Modern Music” Chamber Music Competition(All Day) Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz, Leonhardstraße 15, A-8010 GrazEvent Type :competitions Event TagsInternational "Franz Schubert and Modern Music” Piano Trio Competition

14febAll Day22Jascha Heifetz International Violin Competition(All Day) Lithuanian National Philharmonic Hall, Aušros Vartų g. 5 Vilnius, LithuaniaEvent Type :competitions Event TagsInternational Jascha Heifetz Competition for Violinists

16febAll DayChicago National Chamber Music Competition(All Day: sunday) Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall, 201 St Johns Ave, Highland Park, IL 60035, United StatesEvent Type :competitions Event Tagschamber music,competition

march 2025

15marAll DayMusic Teachers National Association (MTNA) National Conference(All Day: saturday) Hilton Minneapolis, 1001 Marquette Ave. Event Type :conferences & tradeshows Event Tagschamber music,Chamber Music America,Conferences,Music Teachers National Association National Conference

18marAll DayJohansen International String Competition(All Day: tuesday) Calvary Baptist Church, 755 8th Street, NW, Washington, DCEvent Type :competitions

19marAll DayAmerican String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Conference(All Day: wednesday) HYATT REGENCY ATLANTA, 265 Peachtree St Event Type :conferences & tradeshows Event TagsAmerican String Teachers Association,American String Teachers Association National Conference,ASTA,conference

CONTACT US
x

Get ALL our latest conveniently by EMAIL

Our newsletter is trusted by over 100,000+ industry professionals around the world

We deliver news straight to your inbox and will never share your data.
You'll never miss a beat!

click left click right