Rebecca Rossi

September 2004: first time I met you, joyfully welcoming me at Dartmouth. January 2020: last time I hugged you, after celebrating my mother’s Befana in Italy. In between, too much for now, but I’ll share more. I’m shocked and I cry. Romeo is not informed, but he asked me: “Mamma, hai bisogno di un’abbracciatona?”. I’m splitting it…

Eric Laird

Eric Laird

O Maestro! My Maestro!  Your symphony has just begun not here or there but everywhere.  Movement to movement and act to act you will perform with never an end.  I see your vibrance and I see your smile waving that baton from stage to stage and friend to friend.  Every piece I hear every performance…

Kathron Sturrock

In 2018 I was asked to play for a carol concert for SKY and asked my colleague Peter Stark if he could recommend someone to lead this – ‘someone warm, kind, inclusive, communicative and joyful’ – Peter said ‘I have the very person – Chris McMullen-Laird’. And he was all these things, and more.

Matt Parkin

Matt Parkin

Like so many at the RCM, I was shocked and so saddened to hear the news about Chris, and all the more because of how much life, energy and fun he brought to all those who worked with him. His warmth and ability to quickly make friends with everyone – fellow students, audiences young and…

David and Helga Lendrum

We met Christopher McMullen-Laird when we were part of the choir singing Mozart’s Requiem at the Yorke Trust in South Creake, Norfolk, UK, on 29 February 2020\. It was such an extraordinary day which we will never forget. Christopher’s conducting was so inspirational and so amazing that the concert became a special event full of…

Carolyn Tarzia

I met Chris for the first time when he was in 10th grade, and inquiring about private Viola lessons. One month later, he called back to sign on with me, his private teacher, for lessons, and he remained with me until he graduated from high school. We became close friends during that time. He was…

Claudia Rizzi

Zeke : la luce di un genio.. Un privilegio raro averne incrociato il cammino ! Conoscendolo, non si poteva che amarlo.. la sua vitalità, la sua ironia, la sua personalissima originalità e la sua sconfinata nobiltà d’animo toccavano direttamente il cuore di ciascuno.. Unico, per sempre.. Nostro, di tutti noi..

Tim Lines

It’s so unbelievably sad that Chris has been taken at such an early age. He gave so much to all who met him at the RCM. He wanted to hear everyone play and experience as much as possible there. His enthusiasm was infectious and his sheer joy in hearing music was a delight. His spirit…