After knowing Christopher for only a short while, it was clear to me that he was a truly exceptional person.
From our very first meeting he made me feel such a special friend and valued colleague as he always offered generous words of encouragement. His incandescence shone through those beautiful eyes and irrepressible smile. Thank you for our brief friendship that will always stay with me.
Christopher – or Zeke, as we called him at Dartmouth – and I became dear friends in college despite never having taken a single class together. We have always shared a love of languages and as undergraduates, we had a common (and very lucrative!) side job as teaching assistants for introductory French and German courses….
Cape Cod is a haven for all of the Lairds and Christopher spent so many loving days with his Grandfather here. He shared Summers on the Cape with his siblings as children, and played with my Daughter when she was five. Over the years he brought so many friends, as this was a second home…
Dear Zeke, You played such an integral role in my Dartmouth experience. Thank you for our long talks and sharing a passion for music, for the thoughtful discussions during our London Music FSP and the spontaneity and adventure of the trip to Italy and especially beautiful Corsica. After college, you made me so proud as you…
Thank you Zeke for the unforgettable moments when you, Sindre and I were rehearsing Lohengrin on my couch in Cologne, before we went to see the opera. Andreas and I had the first chance to see you conduct in Rheinsberg. we stopped at my parents’ for a short visit in Rosbach and they were fascinated…
I remember hearing about Christopher long before I met him, which was during the late 90s. At the time, I was Purple’s voice teacher and lived just down the street from the McMullen-Laird family. I taught quite a number of Steiner School students and Christopher’s reputation definitely preceded him! He had been described to me…
I only knew him for a brief few weeks as he culminated his time at Dartmouth College in NH. I was lucky enough to be part of his Mozart Requiem project, through which his charisma, talent, passion for music and conducting, and unflinching ambition shone brightly. He had the voice of an angel! When we…