In Memoriam: Chris Vadala and Fred Balmages

Recently, the great state of Maryland lost two giants in the world of music performance and education: Chris Vadala, saxophonist and college music professor, and Fred Balmages, trumpeter and elementary school music teacher. Many community musicians knew them as friends as well as coaches, and both will be greatly missed.

Chris Vadala

Chris Vadala was a multiple award-winning musician, having performed on more than 100 recordings, in many film and TV soundtracks, with the National Symphony Orchestra, and with big names like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and most notably, the Chuck Mangione Quartet.

However, by all accounts Vadala was much more than a fantastic musician. He became director of Jazz Studies and professor of saxophone at the University of Maryland (UMD), College Park campus, where he developed the jazz program to its current world-class status.

His musical exploits were well known at the university, but his dedication to education soon became legendary. His students and fellow professors have noted his devotion, passion, and artistry, as well as his sense of humor and his kindness.

After a ten-year fight, about which he told no one, cancer took him in January of 2019. He was 70. Learn more at UMD’s memorial page.

I saw Vadala once, directing the Maryland All-State Jazz Band a few years ago, and I remember being impressed by not only the band’s musicality, but also Vadala’s on-stage presence and of course, his saxophone work.

A friend and fellow jazz band musician, Steve W., studied under Vadala. He had this to say:

With Chris you were always welcome and you always felt like you were a part of the group, whether you really were…or not. Given Chris’s talent and the level of performance he fostered in so many students at UMD he certainly could have been picky about who he let in his circle, but he always welcomed everyone. I…was probably the weakest player there, but no matter how much better the [other] players were…Chris never made you feel like anything less than the best player there. You worked hard not because you had to, but because he made you want to.

I was lucky enough to be able to return to UMD for the past several years to play in the Alumni Jazz Band. And once again…the appreciation that Chris gave to [each musician] was special. He never forgot your name…and talked with every individual after each concert to make sure you enjoyed playing.

Last year’s…Alumni Jazz Band Concert was the last time I got to see Chris, and our concert closer was “Children of Sanchez.” I couldn’t be prouder that this was the last thing I ever played with Chris. We played it with pride as our closer this year as well in tribute, and I don’t think I’ve ever played it with more emotion.

Fred Balmages

While Fred Balmages did not have national notoriety or awards, his amazing devotion to his elementary school music students was no less impressive. He taught instrumental music to grade K-12 for almost 27 years in the Baltimore County school system.

He also played trumpet in various community ensembles, including the Columbia Jazz Band for about 20 years. This is where I met him and heard his lyrical, almost effortless soloing technique. He didn’t cram as many notes as possible into a solo, he just played what was necessary to tell a beautiful musical story.

Over time, I got used to his love of puns (both good and bad) and his ever-present positivity, even when he grew ill. I also learned that many local friends had taken one of his classes as kids, worked with him as fellow music educators, or at least knew of him. Others know him through association with his son, composer Brian Balmages, for both had played in the Columbia Concert Band. In music circles, the Balmages name is linked to Maryland’s Baltimore and Howard Counties.

Fred passed away due to complications from liver failure in March of 2019. He was 70.

More memories from Steve:

I only met Fred once, but when I told him my band was playing one of Brian’s pieces, he wrote a nice email to my band members telling them about Brian’s early band experiences and how proud both he and Brian were that we were playing one of his pieces. Whether my students continue in music for the rest of their lives or not, for a moment they felt like celebrities because the composer’s dad actually wrote to them. A copy of the email from Fred is still hanging in our band room.

Fred was definitely a class act.

Here is a slightly abridged version of Fred’s email:

To the most special people in the world (student musicians),

I was thrilled to receive an invitation to your spring concert this coming Friday. You all should know that I was an elementary school music teacher for 26 years of my career. Brian started as a young trumpet player and took lessons from me at home as well as in our elementary school band. He attended my school as did his wife, Lisa. Of course, at the time, we never knew she and Brian would [eventually] be married.

Music is an art that should always be encouraged in our schools and I am so pleased that you are all involved. You are the future of our world and hopefully, you will continue with a lifelong love for all the arts.

Brian has been involved in school music programs all over the world and his love of performers is evident when he is asked to conduct. I can assure you that I will forward this to Brian and let him know of the invitation as well.

Continued success in your pursuits and please know that your performance means everything to your parents and Mr. W. as well as folks that love the arts.

Fred Balmages

Such encouraging words – a class act, indeed!

Village Virtuoso sends condolences to the families, friends, and students of these men. Both embodied an unswerving loyalty to the craft of playing and teaching music, making their lives, as well as ours, much fuller and better for it.