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Gottfried Joseph Wilfinger

Posted 2009-07-06 by Judy Wight Branson
Gottfried Joseph Wilfinger

Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania on March 21, 1929.
Departed on July 18, 2002 and resided in Cottonwood, Arizona.

Gottfried Joseph Wilfinger, 73, of Sedona, Arizona died on July 18, 2002. He was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania on March 21, 1929.

Mr. Wilfinger was a concert violinist. He attended the Settlement School of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied with Raphael Bronstein, and continued his studies at the New England Conservatory of Music, where his teacher was Richard Burgin. His teachers also included Naum Blinder, concertmaster of the San Francisco Orchestra and Henri Temianka, of Los Angeles. In 1948 and 1949 he was a fellowship student at the Tanglewood Music Center in North Adams, Massachusetts. Mr. Wilfinger performed in numerous recitals and concerts while living in San Francisco; his appearances as soloist included the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Tanglewood music Center Orchestra. He was a charter member of the Boston Fine Arts Quartet as well as a member and assistant concertmaster of the Zimbler Sinfonietta.

He was a violinist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1950-1998 when due to health reasons he retired and moved to Sedona, Arizona.

He is survived by his wife Jeanne Wolf, Sedona a portrait painter; five children, Eric Wilfinger, Leslie Hoffman, Mark Wilfinger, Peter Wilfinger and Carol Foss; one grandchild: Gregory, all of Boston, Mass.; sisters, Theresa Wilfinger and Frances Wilfinger Noyes, both of Washington, D.C.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Margery Wood.

There are currently two concerts that will be given to honor him in the coming months. In September, at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and the second will be held at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts and will be performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Westcott Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.

Westcott Funeral Home, Cottonwood and Camp Verde, Arizona.




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