Helmuth Rilling, the co-founder of the Oregon Bach Festival, died on Wednesday at 92 years old.
Rilling, a Grammy-winning German conductor renowned for his recordings of Bach, helped the University of Oregon put on its first festival for the composer in 1970.
For more than four decades, Rilling served as the event’s artistic director, helping lead master-classes and concerts up until his departure in 2013.
Dave Goudy, the festival’s former Director of Education Activities, said Rilling performed Bach’s pieces with a gentle touch that was authentic to the era they were written in, but using a modern orchestra’s instruments.
“He embraced the idea that these are the instruments that we have today. How do we make them work for the music of Bach? And that was very unique,” Goudy told KLCC. “So when people came here for the festival, they would hear something that they weren’t going to here somewhere else.”
Goudy credited Rilling for helping Eugene grow its profile in classical music, attracting new artists to perform there and paving the way for the building of the Hult Center.
He said even as Rilling’s fame grew, the conductor continued to bring his family to Eugene each summer for the festival.
“He came back year after year because he loved Eugene and he loved the people here,” said Goudy. “And there are so many people who knocked themselves out for him and provided comforts to make it easy.”
Goudy said he remembers Rilling exciting classes with his music knowledge, drinking massive amounts of coffee, and smoking cigars in the university’s graveyard during breaks.
“As quiet as he was personally,” said Goudy, “his art spoke loudly.”
The University of Oregon says the Oregon Bach Festival will pay tribute to Rilling this summer and in 2027.
