The Britt Festival Orchestra joins the southern Oregon community in mourning the loss of one of our dearest friends, Hannelore Enfield, who passed away the morning of December 7,2020.
An orchestra is a family, and the strength of that family depends on people believing in the power and beauty of that institution. Hannelore was as much a part of the Britt Festival family as anyone I know. She believed in music, loved music, and understood the universality and timelessness of great works of art. For her, music was an essential part of life – not just something to enjoy, but something for which to live. This was clear to me the first time I met Hannelore. Perhaps even more important was her belief that everyone should enjoy the music that she loved so dearly. Her instinctive and overwhelming generosity also struck me from our first meeting.
Hannelore was a force. I won’t lie – I was always a bit nervous to share our future Britt Festival Orchestra plans with her as she had incisive and particular musical tastes! Every time we got together, however, we’d always bond over stories about music and musicians – and Hannelore had an incredible wealth of legendary encounters with great artists. From Leonard Bernstein to Herbert von Karajan, Hannelore’s path brought her to meet some of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, and she helped bring that same caliber of artistry for everyone to enjoy on the Britt Hill. Hers is a legacy that we will all share far into the future: Hannelore’s passion for music will live on through her Britt family.
I so enjoyed spending time with Hannelore the past seven years. She was a brilliant, independent, cultured person – unique and beloved by her community and her family. I join my colleagues at the Britt Festival Orchestra in expressing our condolences to her friends, her family, and indeed to the town of Jacksonville. Whether you were a close friend of Hannelore’s or simply came to a Britt Orchestra performance, she touched our lives and will be sorely missed.
– Teddy Abrams, BFO Music Director and Conductor
Hannelore’s obituary: https://www.soobituaries.com/adportal/listing/Hannelore-Enfield/W0014659.html
Hannelore’s special relationship with music and Britt: https://jacksonvillereview.com/love-story-continues-donna-briggs/