Cedille Mourns the Loss of Two Great Philanthropists

Over Cedille’s 35-year history, we have been honored to have earned the support of hundreds of music lovers, civic leaders, and friends. Sadly, two of our greatest supporters — Joe Reich and Howard Gottlieb (both recipients of our Martin D. Ginsburg Award) — recently passed away. We lament the deaths of these innovative leaders whose friendship and generosity have meant so much to Cedille.

Howard Gottlieb was a pillar of Chicago’s musical community. He began taking violin lessons at age eight and had always planned on becoming a professional musician. While World War II interrupted those career plans, Howard achieved significant success postwar as a soloist and orchestral violinist both in the United States and Europe. Cedille Records is honored to have been among the many organizations that Howard supported.

He was a Life Trustee of the Merit School of Music (whose concert hall is named for him), the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (where he subbed in the violin section under maestros Solti and Barenboim), the Ravinia Festival, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He is a former trustee of the Aspen Music Festival and School and past member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. We enjoyed seeing Howard and his life-partner Barbara Greis (a Cedille Board member) frequently at concerts and events through the years. We will miss him!

Joe Reich and his late wife, Dr. Carol Reich, dedicated themselves to enriching the lives of those less fortunate — through their commitment to improving public education, dedication to sharing the power of music, and philanthropic support for other meaningful causes.

Their involvement in supporting music came from Carol’s lifelong love of classical music, which she and Joe shared with their friends Martin and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who they had known since they met at Cornell over 70 years ago. Although much of their philanthropy was based in the areas they called home (New York, the Berkshires, and Florida), the Reiches supported the mission of Cedille Chicago since the organization began operations. During that time, they made countless donations, serving as Cedille’s most consistent and generous donors. As important as their unparalleled financial contributions, the Reiches brought enthusiasm, warmth, and a spirit of collaboration to all of our interactions.

Cedille Records will miss both Joe Reich and Howard Gottlieb. President Jim Ginsburg reflects: “Cedille’s growth, in so many respects, has come as a result of their interest in and generosity toward our unique musical mission. I will miss our personal interactions and their friendship, but I am confident that Cedille’s success will continue thanks to the solid foundation they have both helped to build.”