The Zachary Friedland Memorial Fund

Zachary Friedland, son, cousin, nephew, grandson, and friend and inspiration to many, passed away in October, 2021, after a long and painful struggle with medical complications from a failed series of surgeries.

 

His death was quite unexpected; the initial operation was intended only to fix a technical problem with his pacemaker. Now we are faced with the reality of a life ended too soon and with so much of what Zach wanted to accomplish left undone.

 

Zachary was a composer. As we go through his files, we are finding musical works, including a symphony, that are yet to be performed. His commitment to music did not stop with his own work; Zachary had a strong sense of service to his colleagues.

 

He was the driving force behind efforts to help other young composers get their music played, recorded, and heard. As you can imagine, it is no small feat to get dozens of musicians to volunteer their time, often on weekends, to play and interpret new musical scores. His joy and energy for music and musicians was contagious. It was obvious to us that he was loved and respected, evidenced by all the memories and messages of comfort his network of friends and colleagues shared with us.

 

Another dimension to Zachary was his interest and concern about the world of nature and humankind. He wrote several pieces for science conferences, often interpretative works intended to inspire the participants. He thought the work of these scientists was an important part of efforts to solve ecological problems. He enjoyed taking walks in the quiet, peaceful, green spaces near his home.

 

Zachary followed world events and the body politic with great interest, understanding that our collective conduct impacts people’s lives. He would have been consumed with concern and angst over the conflagration in Europe.

 

As we grapple with our loss, we are reaching out to honor Zachary’s legacy and values. With your help, we hope to raise at least $75,000 in his name to support three efforts that we believe he would have thought important. If we are successful in raising significantly beyond our initial goal, we will establish the Zachary Friedland Memorial Fund in his memory to provide additional support to these and other organizations that were important to Zachary. The first $75,000 will be allocated as follows:

 

($25,000) Support for the Rhode Island Recording Ensemble, an ongoing enterprise that helps early career composers get their music played and recorded. It is a great service to young composers developing their musical voice.

 

($25,000) Support for open space to help keep us connected to the earth, through land trusts and conservation organizations like the Nature Conservancy of Providence Rhode Island to protect land for future generations.

 

($25,000) Support for the Save the Children Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund, to help prevent damage to a generation of young people already being impacted by war.

 

Zachary’s death has shaken us to our core. Please consider taking part in this collective effort to honor his memory and to help continue his life’s work. Nothing will give him back to us. But with your help, we can make the 31 years he spent on Earth mean something for generations to come.

 

Thank you,

Zachary’s family and friends