Gene Nastri Shared Passion For Music With Generations

Seattle Times music critic Melinda Bargreen, Everett High School Class of 1965, is a former student of Gene Nastri.

If heaven is anything like he hoped it would be, Gene Nastri is probably even now throwing out the harps and lining up an orchestra of celestial violinists.

Mr. Nastri, a beloved regional figure in music and a longtime music teacher, died Saturday (July 5) at 87 after a long battle with cancer and Parkinson's disease. He leaves behind a legacy of many generations of students, music lovers and others who were swept up in his passionate enthusiasm for music and his "you-can-do-it" attitude.

To young kids who wandered into his many spheres of influence, "Mr. Strings," as he was known, was a figure like no other. He taught at several levels in the Everett School District for 27 years, was concertmaster for the Everett Symphony for 38 years, and co-conducted the Everett Youth Symphony.

Born in 1909 in Chicago, Mr. Nastri was a dashing fellow with a Roman profile and wavy dark hair. Playing a string instrument or the piano, or conducting one of his many ensembles, he swayed back and forth in the spell of the music, a trait often imitated by his students. He exuded energy and musical fervor; he could be humorous or whimsical, but he always cared deeply about both the music and the kids who played it.

In Mr. Nastri's view, everybody ought to learn to play the fiddle. Even if they weren't tremendously gifted, they could still make music. Learning to play was like learning to talk: Some were better at it than others, but everyone needed to learn.

Often you'd find yourself doing things you never expected to do. As a young pianist in Everett schools in the 1960s, I found myself swept up in his enthusiasm, agreeing to perform at concerts and play music I'd never expected to play. It wasn't just hard to say no to Gene Nastri; it was impossible.

Of course, you couldn't be a Nastri and not play an instrument. At one time, his wife, Frances, and daughters, Alice, Genie and Laura, all played together in the Everett Symphony.

His musical "family," however, was far more numerous than his immediate family.

Mr. Nastri inspired generations of music students, some of whom went on to become luminaries, such as Pulitzer Prize-winning composer William Bolcom, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra violinist Connie Knudsen-Gantsweg, and Vancouver Symphony violinist Carolyn Canfield Cole.

A lover of all things Italian, Mr. Nastri returned regularly to Salerno, Italy, where his parents - both professional musicians - were born.

Mr. Nastri also was a gourmet cook who specialized in breakfasts, and often invited students and other guests to sample his Belgian waffles and other goodies. In earlier years, he would sometimes surprise the families of students he visited by heading off to their kitchen and whipping up an impromptu meal.

Mr. Nastri and his students gave a Christmas concert in downtown Everett for more than 45 years. It was a focal point for former students who returned to the area for the holidays. Everyone was welcome to play. This was only one of the many community efforts that were recognized in 1986 by an Everett Cultural Commission Award that called Mr. Nastri a "local treasure."

Everett Symphony conductor Paul-Elliott Cobbs called Mr. Nastri "the musical soul of Everett."

Mr. Nastri is survived by his wife of 56 years, Frances of Everett; his three daughters, Alice Anderson of Lake Stevens, Eugenie Nastri of San Diego, Calif., and Laura Nastri of Everett; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and his sister Nicolina.

At Mr. Nastri's request, a public viewing today from 9 a.m. to noon at Purdy & Walters with Cassidy of Everett, 1702 Pacific Ave., was to be followed by a private family service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Everett Symphony Orchestra, 1507 Wall St., Everett, WA, 98201.