A Chance Encounter That Changed Everything
In 1985, as a young student at the Conservatorio Gilardo Gilardi in La Plata, Argentina, I was enrolled in a class called Acústica—Acoustics. The professor, whose passion for sound was contagious, once brought in a vinyl record to demonstrate the capabilities of a particular brand of high-fidelity microphones. The record featured a performance by Thomas Murray, a name then unknown to me, playing the Mendelssohn Organ Sonatas on a magnificent Hook organ. It was a promotional gift from the microphone company, given to acousticians to showcase the clarity and richness of their equipment.
But for me, it became something much more. I was captivated—not only by the clarity of the recording, but by the majesty of the music and the instrument. I listened to that record obsessively. I couldn’t yet play the Mendelssohn Sonatas—I was just beginning as an organist—but I dreamed of one day being able to.
Fast forward to 1989. I was visiting my friend Dante Anzolini, who was studying conducting at Yale University. One afternoon, while Dante was in class, I wandered the campus and stumbled into a stunning building. Drawn by the sound of a mighty organ, I followed the music and entered Woolsey Hall.
There, someone was rehearsing. I sat alone in the vast space, listening in awe. After some time, the organist turned around and greeted me: “Hello.” “Hello,” I responded with my very limited English. He asked, “What do you do?” “I play the organ,” I said. “Come and play,” he offered.
So I did—I played a piece by Bach. It was the largest organ I had ever touched. When I finished, he said warmly, “That was wonderful. My name is Tom Murray.” And just like that, I realized: this was the Thomas Murray—my unseen mentor from those treasured recordings back in Argentina.
By divine providence—La Providencia—I had met the great artist whose playing had shaped my early imagination, though I had never known his face.
That same day, he said, “You should come to Yale. Study with me.” I later completed the formal audition, but that unexpected invitation, born of kindness and artistic kinship, was my first encounter with Professor Murray.
Today, more than three decades later, we shared lunch—still friends, still teacher and student. He remains for me not only a superb maestro but also a lifelong mentor and cherished friend.
