The North Country Chamber Players are deeply saddened by the loss of a dedicated Board Member and Champion of the Players, Ed Roberts.
Edward Baer Roberts, of Littleton, NH and Boston, MA, formerly of Newton, MA, passed away on Tuesday, February 27, 2024. Raised with his sisters, Charlotte Chaffin and Wilma Bieler, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, by Russian immigrants, his father Nathan drove an oil delivery truck, and his mother Edna ran customer service.
As a child, Ed dreamt of attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He achieved this at 17, and stayed for 71 years. He earned four degrees, and became the youngest-tenured professor ever at that time. Researching entrepreneurship, a field he created, and mentoring and teaching students, gave him great joy.
A true entrepreneur, Ed co-founded numerous successful businesses, and financed over 100 start-up companies. He was most proud of his involvement with Meditech, SOHU.com, OKTA, and PR Restaurants.
He took great pleasure in supporting the arts, education, hospitals, and Jewish causes in Massachusetts and in New Hampshire, where he lived. He was patriotic, and believed in the opportunity America provided.
Ed loved and invested deeply in his family. After meeting Nancy – the love of his life – at 17, he created time, space, and experiences that brought his family together. He bought a house in New Hampshire, where his extended family could ski and celebrate Thanksgiving. He planned annual holiday trips around the world for the entire Roberts family, including multiple trips to Israel.
Ed had infinite energy, never slept, and was a lifelong learner. While known for his storytelling, his ability to listen with immense focus always made you feel loved.
In his spare time, Ed also passionately and generously shared his acumen and considerable experience with the numerous non-profit arts organizations, institutions, and causes that he embraced and participated in on every level. The North Country Chamber Players was blessed to be counted as one of those very fortunate organizations. Our entire “family” will miss his infectious enthusiasm, wise council and outside-the-box thinking at our Board meetings, his decades of loyal friendship and shared experiences, but most of all, we will miss seeing his beaming face in the front row, keyboard side, next to Nancy, at all of our summer concerts.
IN MEMORIAM
Born Sept. 24, 1947 in Woodbury, NJ to Joseph Kendall Betts and Eva Wilder Betts, he was recognized as a French Horn prodigy at an early age.
He graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy in 1965 and earned degrees from The Curtis Institute of Music and University of Pennsylvania in 1969.
Kendall began his career as Associate Principal Horn with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 1969. A year later he was invited to join the Philadelphia Orchestra under Maestro Eugene Ormandy where he played from 1970-1975.
As a free-lance artist from 1975-1979 his engagements included NY Philharmonic, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, soloist in the Mostly Mozart Festival, numerous Broadway shows, the LA Philharmonic and work with major studios, as well as interim Principal Horn for Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
In 1979, he was appointed Principal Horn of the Minnesota Orchestra. Kendall held that position until 2004.
Kendall was a founding member of the North Country Chamber Players, performing with the group for over thirty years. After being appointed Principal Horn of the Minnesota Orchestra, he always carved out a month in the summer to perform in his beloved White Mountains which became his permanent home after retiring from the orchestra.
Don Palma, Bassist with the North Country Chamber Players, recounts that Kendall will be remembered not only for his incredible horn playing and establishing the world-class Kendall Betts Horn Camp in Lyman but for his seat-of-your-pants fireworks displays, barbecued ribs, Cincinnati 5-Way Chili and late night philosophical/political discussions. A larger-than-life character, Kendall was a faithful and true friend. Don asked him to play a family concert with him in Massachusetts with NPR quiz show host Peter Sagal who, during his interview with Kendall, dubbed him the “James Bond of the French Horn.”
In 1997 Kendall founded the nonprofit organization Cormont Music. Its mission statement is “To promote the art of horn playing through education, performance, and publishing.”
He will be dearly missed by his many colleagues, students, friends, and admirers of his wonderful artistry.
There will be a celebration of Kendall’s life at the horn camp in June 2017 as well as a concert honoring Kendall during the White Mountains Music Festival.
Alton Kendall Betts
French Hornist, Educator