Gordon Boelzner
Gordon Boelzner, who rose from rehearsal pianist at New York City Ballet to become the company's music director, died recently at his home in Manhattan. He was 68. Mr. Boelzner had had a heart bypass operation in recent years, and a City Ballet spokeswoman said the cause of death was apparently a heart attack.
Mr. Boelzner became one of several prominent members of the music staff at City Ballet, a company noted for the respect for musical values that shaped the choreography of George Balanchine, its founder with Lincoln Kirstein. Mr. Boelzner joined City Ballet as a rehearsal pianist in 1959. He became almost as much a principal performer as the dancers in Jerome Robbins's "Dances at a Gathering" and "In the Night,"
both set to Chopin solo piano works. He played the 75-minute score
for Robbins's "Goldberg Variations" and won particular praise for his accompaniment in performances
of "In G Major" by Robbins, set to music by Ravel, and "Robert Schumann's 'Davidsbündlertänze' " by Balanchine, danced to 18 Schumann piano pieces.
Mr. Boelzner eventually went on to conduct for the company, becoming music director in 1990. He retired from the post in 1999, when he was named music adviser, a position he held until his death. Mr. Boelzner is survived by a brother.