Richard "DeeDee" Cumming Passes Away at 81

Musical director leaves long legacy of friendship, collaboration

PROVIDENCE, RI: Trinity Repertory Company is saddened to announce the passing of Richard “DeeDee” Cumming, former musical director, director of Project Discovery, and composer-in-residence. Cumming passed away in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 25, 2009. He was 81 years old.

Cumming, who with founding artistic director Adrian Hall co-authored several pieces for the radio, television, film and the stage – including the adaptation of A Christmas Carol still produced annually on Trinity Rep’s stage – began his involvement with Trinity Rep by composing music for Saint Joan during the 1965-1966 season. From there, Cumming would serve as Trinity’s composer-in-residence for 25 years, composing over 60 musical scores and sitting behind the keyboard for some twenty productions from A Streetcar Named Desire (1965-66 season) through Red Noses (1988-89 season).

Artistic Director Curt Columbus remembers Cumming as an invaluable pillar and friend of the theater. “Trinity has lost one of the most important figures in our company's 45-year history.  Richard Cumming's brilliant musical contributions to the work that took place here onstage were integral to the way we conceived of ourselves as a theater.”

“His legacy lives on to this very day in A Christmas Carol; there, his voice can be heard in the incomparable music of that play every year at Trinity.  Anyone who knew DeeDee was lucky, because his warmth, his gentleness, and his talent were in his every interaction with people.  He was a mentor and friend to countless people in Rhode Island, and he will be missed,” states Columbus.

Born in China and educated in the Philippines, California and Colorado under pianist Rudolf Firkusny and composers Ernest Bloch, Roger Sessions and Arnold Schoenberg, Cumming enjoyed a prolific and celebrated career as a pianist, educator and composer.  Cumming’s classical training was brought to bear in not only his performances but his compositions as well – his chamber opera, The Picnic, had its world premiere at Trinity Rep in 1999 under the direction of Oskar Eustis.

Having toured 49 of the 50 states as well as Canada, Europe and the Far East as a solo pianist and concert accompanist for major performers, Cumming’s career also spanned stints as a teacher at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the University of Saskatchewan and at the RI Governor’s School for the Youth in Arts. He would go on to create study materials for more than 40 Project Discovery productions – working as the Director of Trinity Rep’s pioneering educational outreach program from its inception in 1966 to 1980. Project Discovery continues to introduce thousands of students annually to the power of live theater: last season, 25,000 students were able to participate in those workshops which Cumming helped pioneer.

In addition to his work with Trinity Rep, Cumming shared his talents with stages such as the New York Shakespeare Festival, McCarter Theater, Milwaukee Rep, Dallas Theater Center, the Alliance Theater, the Folger Shakespeare Theatre, and the Geffen Playhouse, among others. With Adrian Hall, he co-authored several pieces aired on PBS, including Feasting With Panthers, Life Among the Lowly, The House of Mirth, and Brother to Dragons, all produced under the banner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Cumming’s work garnered him awards from the ASCAP, Ford Foundation, NEA, RISCA, Wurlitzer Foundation, Rubin American Opera Competition, Associated Schools of the Arts Piano Concerto Competition, among others.

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