With profound sadness and grief, we mourn the death of our dear friend and colleague, Thomas Sleeper. After a courageous battle against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Thom passed away on Saturday, October 15, 2022, at 66.
A beloved human being, Thom was the Frost Symphony Orchestra conductor for 25 years and served as Director of the Florida Youth Orchestra for 27 years. In contextualizing Professor Sleeper’s legacy, Shelton Berg, Dean of the Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music remarks, "Thom Sleeper was a brilliant musician, composer, and advocate of new music whose work had a unique depth and passion. As an educator, Thom was fiercely dedicated, and he profoundly impacted legions of students and colleagues. He left us too soon, but his legacy on those who knew him is indelible."
"Thom Sleeper's long courageous battle with ALS is over, but his many amazing legacies will continue to be felt for generations. He enriched the lives of all who were touched by his unmatchable talent. The ego was there, but never on the surface, and others always came first," said Bill Hipp, Former FSOM Dean, who appointed Thom to the faculty in 1993. "He was equally demanding of himself as his students, who were challenged and inspired by his significantly insightful abilities as an interpreter of complex and challenging repertoire. We all learned from him and are grateful for it,"concluded Bill while remembering Thom.
Cristian Măcelaru, one of Thom's former students, is the Music Director of the Orchestre National de France and the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Interlochen Center for the Art's World Youth Symphony. He was appointed the youngest concertmaster in the history of the Miami Symphony Orchestra. Since graduating from the Frost School of Music, Cristian became a GRAMMY Award-winning conductor, performing regularly at the podium of the best American orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, and National Symphony Orchestra.
Immediately after learning the news of Thom's passing, Cristian fondly shared, "Thom understood that the quality of one's education is directly linked to exposure to a multitude of styles and genres. And his programs as the conductor for the Frost Symphony Orchestra were forward-thinking, diverse, and challenging pathways so deeply necessary in young artists' development. For me, Thom Sleeper enabled the understanding that contemporary music should not be presented as a special, unusual offering. Rather, he normalized its frequency and insisted on quality, which is the answer to the success of a progressive presentation." Cristian Măcelaru was only one of the numerous lives Thom impacted. "The lessons I received from Thom ranged from simple, practical guidelines on the path of musical understanding to a far greater sense of creative freedom," said Cristian.
"Those lucky to get to know Thom will remember him as a bright composer and conductor, an inspired professor, and a wonderful human being. He was a committed father and partner, a skilled carpenter, a tinkerer of many things, and a great cook," Cristian remembered as he continued to speak on Thom's legacy.
"Though our hearts feel empty today knowing of Thom's passing, our lives remain full for having known him. We thank him for everything. He will be greatly missed," concluded Cristian.
