Ruth Goldsmith Obituary

Ruth Naomi Goldsmith CHARLESTON - Ruth Naomi Goldsmith, longtime music teacher, professional musician, and dedicated leader in the arts of Charleston, died March 16, 2017, after a five-year battle with cancer. Born July 1, 1938, Ruth Goldsmith graduated from the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam with a degree in Music Education and Viola Performance. Ruth's long and distinguished musical career included 9 years of service as violist in the Augusta and Savannah Symphony orchestras and 46 years as violist in the Charleston Symphony. She played for 9 years as a member of Augusta's Acadia String Quartet, and was a member of the Ensemble of St. Clare at Mepkin Abbey from its founding in the late 1990s until the present time. In addition, for 35 years Ruth was a member of Grace Church Cathedral Choir. Ruth was a true pioneer in the establishment of school music programs in the Low Country. In 1969, she was one of the original music teachers who founded the strings program in the Charleston County Schools, and she served as the very first conductor of the Charleston County Youth Orchestra. After teaching for 10 years in the Charleston County Schools, she went on to start a strings program at Porter Gaud. During summers, she worked at Furman University's summer String Camp, teaching private lessons and conducting the camp's Beginning Orchestra. A private teacher for many years, Ruth was one of the first string teachers to teach the Suzuki Method in the Charleston area. Of her longtime friend and colleague, Emily Remington said, "Ruth was a fine violist and consummate musician." Jan-Marie Joyce, principal viola in the Charleston Symphony, commented, "I was fortunate to play with Ruth in the CSO viola section for 17 years. She always brought a positive attitude and a great deal of professionalism to her job as well as a wonderful sense of humor. She will be greatly missed by her symphony family and the Charleston community." Ruth Goldsmith received numerous honors and awards for her contributions to the cultural life of the Low Country, including several from the City of Charleston and the City of North Charleston. In May 2001, at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival's annual Charleston Symphony Orchestra concert at the U.S. Custom House, Ruth was presented the Piccolo Spoleto Lifetime Achievement Award "for her commitment and dedication to excellence in music performance and music education in the Low Country which brought beauty and joy to audiences of all ages." She is survived by her husband, Barry Goldsmith, and their twin sons, Mark and Craig. A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at Grace Church Cathedral on Saturday, April 8 at 2:00pm. Memorial gifts may be sent to the Grace Church Cathedral Music Fund, 98 Wentworth Street, Charleston, SC 29401. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston