Obituary of Rosamond Waldron Wadsworth

Rosamond W. Wadsworth, affectionately known to family, friends and colleagues as Roz, died peacefully on November 5th at Cathedral Village in Philadelphia. She was 91 years old. Roz enjoyed a long and multi-faceted musical career that spanned seven decades. She was an accomplished soprano soloist, voice teacher, choral director and concert producer whose generosity, passion and commitment touched and inspired people wherever she went. In recent years she was known as a mover and shaker in the musical and cultural life of the Cathedral Village senior living community in Philadelphia. That was just the final chapter in a life filled with hard work, recognition, praise and accomplishment. Roz was born Rosamond Hathaway Waldron on March 15, 1933 in Union, New Jersey, the second daughter of Edward F. and Edith E. Waldron. She attended Westerly High School in Westerly, RI, graduated from Pembroke College/Brown University in 1954, and went on to earn a Master's Degree from Eastman College of Music. After teaching in Kentucky for several years, Roz returned to Rhode Island in the late 1950s and taught music in the Providence public schools. She married David S. Wadsworth of Providence, RI in 1960, started a family and moved to Barrington, RI. While raising two children, she joined the faculty of Barrington College, teaching voice and language diction to students there. She also developed a private teaching practice that would continue well into her eighties, passing on her knowledge and skills to voice students of all ages and abilities. She contributed to the music scene in the greater Providence area, performing in churches, opera productions and music clubs. She was a longtime active member of the Chaminade, Henschel and Chopin music clubs. As a soloist, Roz was a lyric soprano who specialized in French art songs, particularly the music of 20th century composer Francis Poulenc. In 1975 she traveled to Paris, her family in tow, to study with Poulenc's longtime musical partner Pierre Bernac. She and accompanist Anna Fiore-Smith performed in recitals across southeastern New England through the late 1960s and 1970s. A Providence Journal review of her solo recital at Brown University's Alumnae Hall in October 1975 described "a feast of delicacies " in which "you could appreciate the freedoms and nicely varied coloration of her deliveries." In addition to her work as a performer and teacher, Roz was a tireless organizer, producer and promoter of musical causes. She started and directed children's choirs in Barrington, RI and Westport Point, MA. For nearly two decades she served as music director at Temple Beth-El in Providence. When she and David moved to Little Compton, RI, in the mid-1990s, she founded Concerts at the Point, a successful concert series now in its 28th year featuring world-class chamber music artists. Her musical contributions continued when she and David joined the Cathedral Village senior living community in Philadelphia. She performed a solo recital featuring the works of Poulenc, Faure and others, was active in the Cathedral Village choir, wrote reviews of visiting performers for the community paper and organized the community's Matinee Musicale program. Her final effort was a Cathedral Village production of "Camelot," performed for an appreciative, packed house at Cathedral Hall. It was the first major post-pandemic gathering at the facility, and Roz received an extended ovation for her hard work and commitment to seeing the project through to the end. Roz is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and Alton Martin of Elkins Park, PA; a son, David C. Wadsworth of Jersey City, NJ; a former daughter-in-law, Susan P. Wadsworth of Narberth, PA; three grandchildren; and five nieces and two nephews. A graveside service will be held on Thursday November 14 at 11:00 am at Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, RI. A memorial service is planned for a later date at Cathedral Village in Philadelphia, PA. Donations can be made in her memory to Concerts at the Point P.O. Box 3 Westport Point, MA 02791 https://concertsatthepoint.org/donate-support/