In Memoriam - Enrique Arias

To his friend and colleagues, Dr. Enrique Alberto Arias and his passion for music were so entwined that it was difficult to think of one without the other.  "He as an avid concertgoer, performer, music scholar, publisher and teacher," said Jeffrey Wasson, vice president of Ars Musica and professor of musicianship at DePaul University. "He was constantly involved with music. He was a tenacious scholar, involved in one project after another."

Much of Dr. Arias' passion was related to Hispanic music and culture, a reflection of his father's roots in Panama. But he also was devoted to music from the 12th through 18th Centuries, referred to as early music.

Dr. Arias, 63, a musicologist, author, lecturer, associate professor at DePaul University's School of New Learning and president of Ars Musica Chicago, died of complications from chemotherapy Wed., Dec. 1, in Weiss Memorial Hospital.

He was born in Chicago to Jeanne and Enrique Arias, who was the consul general of Panama in Chicago.

"Like his father, he had the art of diplomacy and could get people to do all sorts of things, such as donate money," Wasson said.  After graduating with a bachelor of music degree in piano performance from DePaul University, Dr. Arias earned a master's in musicology from the University of Chicago, then a doctorate in music history and literature from Northwestern.

He performed as a pianist during the 1970s and 1980s at a number of places in the area, including Preston Bradley Hall in the Chicago Cultural Center. He accompanied soprano Dahlia Kucenas at concert halls in Asia, Europe and South America.

Before joining DePaul in 1993 as an associate professor, Dr. Arias was a faculty member and president of the former Chicago Conservatory of Music.  "He was a very careful, meticulous, clear, gentle teacher," said Susanne Dumbleton, dean of DePaul's School of New Learning. "He was particularly dedicated to ensuring that music from earlier ages got played and also received peoples' attention and admiration. He really cared that they understood the influence of ancient music on contemporary music.

"He would be delighted at finding a musical script not played for years and then presenting it to musicians so they could play it."  Dr. Arias' devotion to early music led to his involvement with Ars Musica Chicago, an ensemble that performs music from the 12th through 18th Centuries. He had been the organization's president since 1988.  "He was the heart and soul of the whole thing," Wasson said. "He oversaw grant writing, recruited the funds, was involved in the programming and in the building of the board."

A proficient researcher, author and lecturer, Dr. Arias annually traveled to churches and libraries throughout the world to study his subjects.  His publications included "Comedy in Music: A Historical Bibliographical Resource Guide," "Three Masses by Sebastian de Vivanco" and a bibliography of composer Alexander Tcherepnin.  There are no immediate survivors.  A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 1010 W. Webster Ave., Chicago.

Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, December 7, 2004, page 5.