Tenor William Reeder has Died, Aged 75

Reeder was Founding Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University, and made an enormous contribution to fundraising across the arts

Tenor and university administrator William Reeder, who was Founding Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University, has passed away. 

In the early part of his career, Reeder was a distinguished operatic tenor — and he performed more than 40 leading roles in major European opera houses, as well as being featured as a regular soloist in the Salzburg Summer Festival.

His performances were frequently broadcast on the radio and TV, with a particularly memorable example being his concert at the Vatican for Pope Paul VI, conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini.

After concluding his singing career, Reeder studied fundraising management at the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, and then taught for a time at Illinois State University and Indiana University.

He served in leadership roles at the Sallie Mae Trust for Education, the St. Louis Conservatory of Music, the Washington Performing Arts Society, the Levine School of Music, and Opera Theater International.

In 2001, Reeder was appointed as the founding dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University. Among the achievements of his tenure were the growth of the college's operating budget from $9 million to $30 million, as well as the development of $150 million in new facilities. During his tenure, Reeder also held the Heritage Chair of Cultural Criticism and was named a Virginia Eminent Scholar.

Alongside this role, he served as an advisor to many nonprofit organizations, and in this capacity, he and his teams raised more than $500 million for various initiatives in education, social services, and the arts.

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