Backstage
Hugh Wolff and his wife, Judith Kogan, have three sons: Alexander, Matthew and Aaron.
All the children played musical instruments growing up, from eldest to youngest: piano, violin and cello. They played trios together back in the day, but now each has gone in his own direction. The youngest is a cellist pursuing an Artist Diploma at Juilliard, the middle one is a graphic designer with a specialty in soccer team logos and uniforms, and the eldest works for a public health non-profit. My wife plays and teaches the harp and writes and produces pieces for public radio. Of course, my sons have thousands upon thousands of songs on their computers. Sometimes they’ll say, “Hey Dad, listen to this.” That’s opened up a whole new world to me - listening to the latest trends in indie and contemporary music! What fun for me as I pass the age of sixty, and it’s great to see everyone in my family passionate about music.
My sons became huge English sports fans when we were living in London. They can still tell you everything about Arsenal (the club they support) and all the English football clubs. The middle one played soccer on his college varsity team, the older one played college rugby. I’m more of a baseball fan. As a loyal supporter of the Boston Red Sox for over thirty years, living in Boston now is a special pleasure.
I love to cook. When I’m home I tend to be the cook. When you travel as much as I do, a slower, calmer pace is definitely needed when you’re home. And cooking is great way to unwind at the end of the day.
More and more I am drawn to the lives of the musicians I’ve devoted my life to studying. I’ve recently read biographies of Brahms, Schumann, Mozart, Walton, and Stravinsky, and a fascinating biography of Lorenzo da Ponte, the librettist for Mozart’s greatest operas and a larger than life character. I am currently into Sibelius and will then start the new Beethoven biography of Jan Swafford. And as I get older, I enjoy reading more history. The study of history deepens my understanding of music and my understanding of the contemporary world.