Mourning a Beloved Friend

The Greenwich Village Orchestra mourns the passing of our beloved friend and colleague, Helen-Jean Arthur.

Helen-Jean was so much more than just a founder of our orchestra. She was a matriarch, an inspiration, a soloist, a violinist, a librarian, a cheerleader, and so much more.

An accomplished stage actress, Helen-Jean brought vivacious and exciting readings to numerous works for narrator and orchestra, including notable performances of Lincoln Portrait, Carnival of the Animals, A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Peter and the Wolf, and Tubby the Tuba.

She hosted dozens of parties for the orchestra in her home, and for years the orchestra was truly run out of her living room. She was a fixture on our board, and meetings were always social gatherings, and we cherish the memories of her warm welcome.

We will miss our dear friend and her uniquely creative spirit and extraordinary love of music, and will remember her as we gather weekly to create that transcendent thing, music.