# Michael Tree

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This article is about the violist. For the comic book, see [Ms. Tree (comic book)](/source/Ms._Tree_(comic_book)).

**Michael Tree** (born **Michael Applebaum**; February 19, 1934 – March 30, 2018) was an American [violist](/source/Violist).

## Biography

Tree was born in [Newark, New Jersey](/source/Newark,_New_Jersey). His principal studies were with [Efrem Zimbalist](/source/Efrem_Zimbalist) on [violin](/source/Violin) and [viola](/source/Viola) at the [Curtis Institute of Music](/source/Curtis_Institute_of_Music). Zimbalist insisted that Tree change his name from Applebaum (German for "apple tree") to advance his career.[1] Subsequent to his [Carnegie Hall](/source/Carnegie_Hall) recital debut at the age of 20, Tree appeared as violin and viola soloist with major orchestras, including the [Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia_Orchestra), [Baltimore](/source/Baltimore_Symphony_Orchestra), [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles_Philharmonic), and [New Jersey](/source/New_Jersey_Symphony_Orchestra). As a founding member of the Marlboro Trio and the [Guarneri Quartet](/source/Guarneri_Quartet), he played throughout the world and recorded more than 80 [chamber music](/source/Chamber_music) works. Prominent among these were ten piano quintets and quartets with [Artur Rubinstein](/source/Artur_Rubinstein). Tree served on the faculty of the [Curtis Institute of Music](/source/Curtis_Institute_of_Music), [The Juilliard School](/source/The_Juilliard_School), [Bard College Conservatory of Music](/source/Bard_College_Conservatory_of_Music), [Manhattan School of Music](/source/Manhattan_School_of_Music), [University of Maryland School of Music](/source/University_of_Maryland,_College_Park) and [Rutgers University](/source/Rutgers_University), and regularly performed at the [Marlboro Music School and Festival](/source/Marlboro_Music_School_and_Festival). He appeared as himself in the 1999 film *[Music of the Heart](/source/Music_of_the_Heart)*, starring [Meryl Streep](/source/Meryl_Streep) and, among other famous violinists, fellow Guarneri Quartet member [Arnold Steinhardt](/source/Arnold_Steinhardt), who, with his photographer wife [Dorothea von Haeften](/source/Hans_Bernd_von_Haeften#Biography), played an important role in the real life story.

In 1962, he was a soloist with the [Naumburg Orchestral Concerts](/source/Naumburg_Orchestral_Concerts), in the Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park, in the summer series. [2]

Tree played a circa 1780 43.25 cm (17 inch) [Domenico Busan](/source/Domenico_Busan) viola from [Venice, Italy](/source/Venice,_Italy).[3] He also played violas of the modern Japanese-American [luthier](/source/Luthier) [Hiroshi Iizuka](/source/Hiroshi_Iizuka). During his early years with the [Guarneri Quartet](/source/Guarneri_Quartet), Tree played on a viola made by mid-20th century luthier Harvey Fairbanks of [Binghamton, New York](/source/Binghamton,_New_York).[4]

Michael Tree received an honorary degree from [Binghamton University](/source/Binghamton_University).[5]

Tree's father, Samuel Applebaum, was a nationally known violin [pedagogue](/source/Pedagogue) who wrote many articles and books about music and composed or edited extensive teaching materials.

Tree died of [Parkinson's disease](/source/Parkinson's_disease) at his [Manhattan](/source/Manhattan) apartment on March 30, 2018, at the age of 84.[6]

## Discography

Outside of the chamber music recordings with the [Guarneri Quartet](/source/Guarneri_Quartet), Tree recorded:

- Beethoven Serenade for Flute, Violin, and Viola with [Eugenia](/source/Eugenia_Zukerman) and [Pinchas Zukerman](/source/Pinchas_Zukerman) (on Columbia)
- Bolcom "Let Evening Come" with [Benite Valente](/source/Benite_Valente) and Cynthia Raim (on Centaur Records)
- Brahms Viola Sonatas with [Richard Goode](/source/Richard_Goode) (on Nonesuch) [1981]
- Brahms [Horn Trio](/source/Horn_Trio_(Brahms)) with Myron Bloom and [Rudolf Serkin](/source/Rudolf_Serkin) (on Sony Classical)
- Brahms G major [Viola Quintet](/source/String_Quintet_No._2_(Brahms)) with [Isaac Stern](/source/Isaac_Stern), [Cho-Liang Lin](/source/Cho-Liang_Lin), [Jaime Laredo](/source/Jaime_Laredo), and [Yo-Yo Ma](/source/Yo-Yo_Ma)
- Brahms Sextets (on Sony) with [Isaac Stern](/source/Isaac_Stern), [Cho-Liang Lin](/source/Cho-Liang_Lin), [Jaime Laredo](/source/Jaime_Laredo), [Yo-Yo Ma](/source/Yo-Yo_Ma), and [Sharon Robinson](/source/Sharon_Robinson_(cellist))
- Mendelssohn Octet with [Jaime Laredo](/source/Jaime_Laredo), [Alexander Schneider](/source/Alexander_Schneider), [Arnold Steinhardt](/source/Arnold_Steinhardt), [John Dalley](/source/John_Dalley), Samuel Rhodes, [Leslie Parnas](/source/Leslie_Parnas), and [David Soyer](/source/David_Soyer)
- Mozart Violin and Viola Duos (on Nonesuch) with Violinist Toshiya Eto
- Mozart [Concertone](/source/Concertone) (for 2 violins and orchestra) with [Jaime Laredo](/source/Jaime_Laredo), violin, and [Alexander Schneider](/source/Alexander_Schneider) conducting the Marlboro Festival Orchestra (on Columbia) (here Michael Tree plays violin.)
- [Schmidt](/source/Franz_Schmidt_(composer)) Piano Quintet in G (on Sony Classical) with [Leon Fleisher](/source/Leon_Fleisher), Joel Smirnoff, [Joseph Silverstein](/source/Joseph_Silverstein) and [Yo-Yo Ma](/source/Yo-Yo_Ma).

## References

1. ["What's in a Name"](https://keyofstrawberry.com/whats-in-a-name/)

1. ["Notable Events and Performers"](https://naumburgconcerts.org/notable-events-and-performers). *Naumburg Orchestral Concerts*. Retrieved 2025-03-19.

1. ["Domenico Busan, Venice, c. 1780, the 'ex-Michael Tree'"](https://tarisio.com/cozio-archive/property/?ID=24218)

1. Arnold Steinhardt (1998). Indivisible by Four: A String Quartet in Pursuit of Harmony, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0-374-23670-4. p132: "… [Michael] was playing on a brand-new instrument made by a relatively obscure maker, one Harvey Fairbanks from [Binghamton, New York](/source/Binghamton,_New_York)."

1. ["Binghamton University – Office of the President: Honorary Degree Recipients"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130319120031/http://www2.binghamton.edu/president/previous-honorary-degrees.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.binghamton.edu/president/previous-honorary-degrees.html) on March 19, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2012.

1. Smith, Harrison (April 1, 2018). ["Michael Tree, violist who co-founded the influential Guarneri Quartet, dies at 84"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/michael-tree-violist-who-co-founded-the-influential-guarneri-quartet-dies-at-84/2018/04/01/2883269e-35c0-11e8-acd5-35eac230e514_story.html). *The Washington Post*. Retrieved April 2, 2018.

## External links

- [University of Maryland profile](http://www.music.umd.edu/faculty/music_directory/string/michael_tree) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070311040028/http://www.music.umd.edu/faculty/music_directory/string/michael_tree) March 11, 2007 at the Wayback Machine

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Michael Tree](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Tree) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Tree?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.