CMS Remembers James Buswell

In Memory of James Buswell (1946-2021)

James Buswell, an Artist Member of CMS for over ten years, performed hundreds of concerts at Alice Tully Hall and on tour, including Schoenberg’s Kammersymphonie under Pierre Boulez in 1977, collaborations with singers Victoria de los Ángeles and Beverly Sills, and premieres of works by Menotti, Birtwistle, and Bolcom. Before he graduated from Harvard, the 23-year-old violinist led the Schubert Cello Quintet at the Chamber Music Society’s opening concert in Alice Tully Hall in 1969. Buswell was recognized early in life when he made his New York Philharmonic debut at just seven years old, becoming the youngest musician ever to solo with the orchestra. He studied at the Juilliard School with Ivan Galamian and rounded out his education by studying Renaissance art at Harvard. He was also a prolific teacher at Indiana University and later the New England Conservatory. On the occasion of his passing, CMS salutes James Buswell’s significant contribution to the artistic history of our organization.