Tributes

Deborah Reeder, a Philadelphia area native and long-time Eagles Mere summer resident, and an accomplished musician, passed away peacefully at her home in Narberth PA, on January 6, 2024. She was 83 years old. Debby was born in Bryn Mawr and raised in Swarthmore. She attended Philadelphia Musical Academy (now University of the Arts) majoring in cello performance, attaining bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She undertook further study at Tanglewood and at the Kneisel Hall Music Festival in Maine. Early on, she pursued a keen interest in chamber music, and was a founding member of the Amado String Quartet. She also engaged in freelance orchestral work in various groups including the Philadelphia Concerto Soloists and the Society of Ancient Instruments. She was invited to join the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy and continued this membership for 6 years. She became the principal cellist of Opera Company of Philadelphia and a member of the Philadelphia Ballet Company Orchestra. But chamber music was always her real passion, and accordingly she founded the Philadelphia Trio in 1971 with fellow musicians Barbara Sonies and Elizabeth Keller. The Trio evolved into a major performing group of international renown. They gave regular concert series in the Philadelphia area as well as performances in dozens of U.S. and European cities, and made several recordings on the Centaur label, garnering enthusiastic reviews. The Trio had residencies and regular concerts at Rosemont College, Yellow Springs Institute, Mount Gretna PA, and Eagles Mere PA, to name just a few. Debby helped found the Eagles Mere Friends of the Arts in 1975. In 1976, along with Barbara Sonies, she established Music in the Mountains at Eagles Mere, an annual summer music camp which flourished for many years. Concurrently, Debby was actively engaged in music education as an adjunct faculty member at the University of the Arts, Temple University, and the Wilmington Music School, as well as through her private studio in Narberth PA. In recent years, Debby extended her artistic practice to the visual arts. She had made charming pen-and-ink sketches of fellow musicians in the orchestra pit, and later worked in pastels, one of which received a juried prize at the Wayne Arts Center this past fall. She also won prizes for her excellent photography. Debby was beloved as a loyal friend, admired for her wide-ranging enthusiasms and deeply generous nature. She is survived by her partner Barbara Sonies and various cousins. A Celebration of Debby's Life will take place on May 4 at 11:00am at Main Line Unitarian Church at 816 S. Valley Forge Rd. in Devon, PA 19333 and will be followed by a reception. Memorial contributions in her name should be directed to the Eagles Mere Friends of the Arts (https://emfoa.org/donate/).

Tributes

Deborah Reeder

January 19, 1940 - January 6, 2024