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 Marderosian, Ardash Passed peacefully and quietly at home surrounded by people he loved on May 1, 2012. He is preceded in death by wife Judy (Riemenscneider) Marderosian, parents Ohannes and Soghome Aslanian Marderosian, and brother Harry Marderosian. He is survived by sister, Vanouhi Benglian; daughters, Cathy Marderosian and Carey (Tony) Russell; son, Steven (Kendra), and six grandchildren, Kaitlyn, John, and Jacob Russell; Krischan, Ian, and Brent Marderosian. Ardash was born on July 10, 1930 in Highland Park, MI, to recent immigrant Armenian parents who had survived the Turkish massacres during and after WWI. After escaping to France where his two siblings were born, his family came to America. As a boy he lived a simple, hard-working, lower-class life in a very diverse ethnic neighborhood outside of Detroit, where his father labored on the assembly lines of the auto giants. He was only in second grade when the US government provided musical instruments to his grade school. He asked for a cornet but was told they had no more and was handed a trombone instead. Music performance became the essence of Ardash's life. He played his trombone brilliantly in school bands, plays, operettas, musicals, and more. After high school he entered the military in the U.S. Air Force Band, rising to the rank of Master Sergeant. Ardash continued his military service in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves while starting college at Wayne State University in Michigan, majoring in music performance. He then continued his pursuit of musical excellence at the University of Illinois School of Music, where he met his perfectly matched, beautiful bride, Judy Ann Riemenscneider. Judy shared Ardash's passion for music performance, and also committed her life to the vital institution of music education. It was destiny. Before marrying Judy in 1961, Ardash was awarded a Masters Degree in music performance in 1956 and began traveling with the "Big Bands" of the era. He played with Glenn Miller, Ralph Marterie, and Tex Beneke, to name only a few. He also performed on television with Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, the King Family, Sammy Davis Jr., Allen Sherman, Liza Minnelli, and the list goes on. He performed in pit orchestras for Tony Randall and even The Three Stooges as well as others. After playing relatively briefly with the San Francisco Orchestra and the Denver Symphony, he married his dream girl Judy and landed his dream gig: Principal Trombone with the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra. He remained in that position for four decades, also earning the same position with the Grant Park Symphony for three decades. Ardash's career also included performing for years with the American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet, and other major performances including The Nutcracker Suite. He founded both the Chicago Opera Brass and the Orchestra of Illinois, and was a professor of trombone at Roosevelt University in Chicago for almost two decades. Ardash taught privately some of the best players who sought him out from around the world, including Japan, Russia, Germany, Great Britain, Poland, and many other countries. Ardash was invited on a regular basis by various music academies to give Master Classes. He also held leadership positions with the Musicians' Union in Chicago, being instrumental to increasing pay scale and benefits for members. In 1996 he was awarded "Musician of the Year" by the Dal Segno Musician's Club of Chicago. In 1988, Ardash was awarded a 3-month joint ambassadorship by the Polish and US governments for a post-USSR outreach program in which he coached all the brass sections of the Warsaw Wielki Opera Orchestra for their premier performances of Wagner's extremely difficult work, "The Ring" (Cycle). For years thereafter he was awarded additional annual, then bi-annual, ambassadorships lasting months at a time. After the outreach program ended, he was invited back and compensated by the Polish government, the Warsaw Philharmonic (Filharmonia Nardowa), and the Wielki Theater twice each year to coach both orchestras' brass sections. Ardash was called on for countless private lessons during his extended stays in Poland also by woodwind and even string players who sought his expertise under their moniker: "Professor Marderosian." One of his very best students, under his close guidance and encouragement, auditioned for and was awarded one of just three trumpet spots in the Weilki Opera Theater Orchestra, becoming the first ever female brass player in a major orchestra in all of Poland. Ardash committed himself to bringing "Big Band Jazz" to the other side of the former Berlin Wall. He formed the Warsaw Brass in a similar model to the Chicago Opera Brass. He invited one of the word's best jazz trumpet players, Bobby Lewis, and his comparable pianist, Joey Vito, to perform with the ensemble. Ardash's passion for music in Poland culminated in receiving the Brass Coach honor for the Janowieckie Interpretacje Muzyki Festival in August 2005. Thereafter he continued teaching the best students from around Poland who, as many others had before from there and elsewhere, sought him out in the United States to continue their private study under his superb and committed tutelage. Ardash Marderosian reached and moved people deeply all over the world, both as a performer and an educator of performers, just like his lovely wife Judy. His passion for music performance will endure in all who knew him here and abroad. He never wavered or lessened in his commitment to be the best he could be, as he did in all pursuits, but most of all with an instrument he was handed in second grade. Visitation will be held Monday, 4 to 8pm at Hallowell & James Funeral Home, 1025 W.55th St. Countryside, IL. Funeral Service Tuesday, 11am at the funeral home. Interment to follow at Bronswood Cemetery, Oak Brook, IL. The family asks that in lieu of sending flowers, donations be made to the Judy Marderosian Scholarship Fund at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. Checks should be made payable to: UIF/School of Music - Judy Marderosian Scholarship Fund and sent to: University of Illinois Foundation, School of Music, Judy Marderosian Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 3429, Champaign, IL 61826-3429. Inquiries about other donation options should be directed to Ms. Sally Bernhardsson at 217-244-4119 or sallytb@illinois.edu. Funeral Information 708-352-6500.
Published in Chicago Sun-Times on May 6, 2012
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