email : Webview : In Memoriam: former faculty Michael Stairs

Dear Haverford School Community,

It is with great sadness that we share the news that former faculty member Michael Stairs has passed. Mr. Stairs left an indelible impression on the School, and was instrumental in creating and sustaining the dynamic music program for which Haverford is known today. Please stay tuned to haverford.org/obits for details on the service, currently planned for September. The School will send a communication with additional information when it becomes available.

“Stairs” – as he was known affectionately by his students – taught music at The Haverford School from 1986 to 2012 and held the inaugural Grace and Mahlon Buck Chair in Music and the Performing Arts from 1998 to 2001. As director of the Glee Club, the School’s 50-voice chorus, he challenged students to sing exceptionally complicated arrangements, like Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in E by Charles Wood, and led Glee Club trips to England, Wales, Sweden, Italy, Austria, and Denmark.

As director and founder of The Notables, the School’s select vocal ensemble, Stairs showcased the boys’ talents in a new way, and, in doing so, forever cemented Haverford’s place as a uniquely distinguished institution that encourages boys to excel in all areas – the arts, academics, and athletics. It was not uncommon for The Notables to include several All-American athletes and National Honor Society members.

Stairs also maintained his reputation and success as a world-class organist at the very pinnacle of his craft. A graduate of Westminster Choir College, Stairs earned an Artist’s Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music. In 1985, he was appointed by Ricardo Muti to be the principal organist for the Philadelphia Orchestra and delivered solo performances in Carnegie Hall and Suntory Hall (Tokyo). Stairs could also be heard as resident organist on the largest fully functioning pipe organ in the world, The Wanamaker Organ, at Macy’s in Philadelphia.

Honoring his memory: The Michael Stairs Concert Fund

In honor of Michael Stairs and his enriching contributions to our community, The Haverford School has established the Michael Stairs Concert Fund. This fund will annually bring to campus a nationally recognized musician to spend time in a master class with Haverford music students and perform a concert in Centennial Hall. The aim of the fund is to celebrate music as an academic discipline as well as a source of inspiration and joy for Haverford students, alumni, and parents.

A generous group of grandparents of alumni, parents of alumni, and alumni provided lead gifts, raising more than $100,000 in commitments. Several of Stairs' former students were able to celebrate this news with him before he passed. Stairs expressed gratitude for receiving this honor and was comforted in knowing that Haverford's vibrant music program would continue to inspire lifelong friends with a deep appreciation for music.

Kevin Madden '98, former member of The Notables and a contributor to the Concert Fund, shares a reflection:

"Stairs was an inspiration, an extraordinary teacher, and a dear friend to so many of us. He was a man of world-class talent that nevertheless generously gave of his time to mold and inspire generations of young musicians of all talents. The Michael Stairs Concert Fund is intended as an enduring reflection of what he has meant to the Haverford community.”

We invite you to learn more about Stairs and the rich music program he helped to build in the recent "Crescendo: music at Haverford" feature story in Haverford School Today.

If you are interested in supporting The Michael Stairs Concert Fund, please contact Director of Development Jeff Day at jday@haverford.org or 484-571-7052.

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