A protege of Ivan Galamian, Dorothy Delay, and Walter Trampler at the Juilliard School, Sokole went on to become the principal violist of the American Symphony Orchestra.
He served as the assistant principal violist at the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO) in 1971 and remained in the position until his retirement in 2008.
Upon retirement from the RCO, he and a group of former colleagues created the Musica Reale Chamber Music Festival, which aims to bring world-class performances to areas in Italy and Japan.
"His contribution to the musical life of both his adopted countries and Japan will be missed," his wife wrote in a statement. "His memory will be honored in ceremonies in Amsterdam with time and place TBA.”
Our condolences are with Mr. Sokole's family, friends, students, and colleagues.
