He had the creative heart of a composer…
His publications sang with beauty, wisdom, sensitivity, imagination and vision.
He believed in music’s enduring value to be respected, admired, loved, and pure.
He believed in my teacher Kalman Opperman and championed his method books.
He believed in my wife Mika and published her transcription of Bach’s CHACCONE, attending her New York premiere at Carnegie Recital Hall.
He cherished the beautifully printed manuscripts of composers because he too was a composer.
He had faith in me and encouraged my transcriptions of Bach, Schubert, and Brahms, as well as contemporary colleagues such as Lukas Foss and Stephen Hartke.
His vision and energy were always positive, even at the end of his life talking about dreams such as a new edition of Brahms’ trio for piano, cello, and clarinet with Manny Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, and myself contributing to a “magnificent ultimate edition with finest quality paper, binding, covers, and printing.” He told me he was inspired by our recording of the trio and dreamed to create a definitive Lauren Keiser edition.
Lauren Keiser truly believed in the magic of the composer, manuscript, and uncompromising devotion to the printed manifestation of the music.