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At the College of Music’s commencement ceremony on May 5, we look forward to welcoming back Judith Glyde, formerly professor of cello and chamber music at the College of Music and chair of our string faculty. A founding member of the Manhattan String Quartet in 1970, she left the quartet at the end of the 1991-92 season to join the ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder faculty. 

Since retiring in 2014 to live in New York City, the professor emerita she has been active with the college’s alumni community there, offering tremendous support to Forever Buffs who are now living and working in the city. 

Upon hearing the news that she’s been selected to receive the College of Music’s 2022 Distinguished Service Award, Glyde said, “For over 60 years, my identity has been one of being a cellist and teacher. It is important to have new projects or structures that will give our talents the means they need. I certainly did not expect to be in New York City, retired, working with our ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ alums, and receiving this Distinguished Service Award. I am honored and exceptionally grateful.”

Glyde also expressed gratitude for College of Music students, specifically: “I owe a big thank you to the students—they are the reason why we teach in an atmosphere such as the College of Music. 

“We grow from knowing the students and, hopefully, they grow from knowing us. To be able to continue a relationship with our alums, supporting their music and their dreams, is a rare privilege.”

Glyde’s advice to new graduates? “Be ready! Keep your eyes and ears open for the next opportunity,” she said. “And have an adventurous spirit! To receive satisfaction in any field, one must be willing to participate in things that involve uncertainty and risk.”

She added, “Find a role for yourself. Find that which will distinguish yourself from all the others. I would like to feel that it is enough to create great music, and in doing so, make a difference in someone’s life.”  

Looking ahead, she concluded, “Don’t be stagnant. It’s crucial to move with the times—one may need to have new projects or structures that will give our talents the means they need. 

“Make sure that you are part of the changes that are occurring in music today … changes that I think of as a renewal of all the great things in music that have come before.”

Formerly artist-in-residence at Town Hall in New York City; Colgate University, New York; and at Grinnell College, Iowa, Glyde performed over 80 concerts a year with the Manhattan Quartet, appearing throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, the former Soviet Union and South America. Their discography includes over 25 recordings for labels such as Naxos, Sony, Koch, Newport Classics and Centaur Records, including a set of six ESS.A.Y. compact discs featuring the 15 string quartets of Dmitri Shostakovich, the first recording of the complete cycle by an American quartet.  

Congratulations on your well-earned distinction, Judith Glyde!