Peter Sacco, orchestral studies director, dies

 Peter Sacco, associate professor of music and director of orchestral studies, died Sept. 20 at New Haven Hospital after a short illness. He was 59.

Sacco, a violinist and conductor, lived in Madison.

David Woods, dean of the School of Fine Arts, says Sacco was "a dynamic force in the School of Fine Arts and the Department of Music, an outstanding musician, an excellent teacher, and a warm human being.

He was a visionary and he always thought outside the box. His ideas have had a profound impact on this school. We will miss him, his smile, his tenderness, and his warmth."

Music professor Kenneth Fuchs, head of the department, says it was a "privilege and pleasure" to have Peter Sacco as a colleague

"He was a dedicated member of the faculty, an inspiring teacher, and an extraordinarily gifted musician," Fuchs says.

"He brought a keen professional perspective to the orchestral and chamber music training programs, and was beloved by the students for the determination and sense of urgency he brought to his teaching."

Glenn Stanley, professor of music, said Sacco was a "great musician, a great teacher of music, a great humanist, and a great office neighbor. We in the music department, the School of Fine Arts, and the University community were very fortunate to have him with us. He is irreplaceable, but his work will continue to inspire us for years to come."

Sacco, who joined the UConn faculty in 1997, graduated from the Juilliard School in 1964, the University of Texas at Austin in 1970, and the Yale School of Music in 1974. Before coming to UConn, he taught at Connecticut College and Wesleyan University.

He was co-founder of Summer Music at Harkness with his wife Cynde Iverson, and was music director and principal conductor of the Connecticut Orchestra.