Powerhouse classical music producer Adam Abeshouse dies at 63

Renowned classical music producer Adam Abeshouse has died.

Over a career that lasted more than 30 years, Abeshouse made hundreds of records with some of classical music’s biggest stars. He won two Grammy awards, including Classical Producer of the Year in 1999.

Abeshouse died Thursday at his home in Westchester, N.Y. He was 63. His death was confirmed to NPR by his studio engineer.

Early in 2024, he had been diagnosed with bile duct cancer, and the disease swiftly metastasized. He was a producer who inspired great love and loyalty with the artists he worked with. Shortly before the end of his life, a dozen of his celebrity clients came together to perform for Abeshouse one last time, in a private concert at his home studio.

Adam Abeshouse understood musicians because he was a musician himself.

Born on Long Island in 1961, he began playing violin in the third grade. He studied at New York University and the Manhattan School of Music, and performed for years before and after he began producing other musicians, including such groups as the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the Metropolitan String Quartet.

His career as a producer started with making audition tapes for friends in a small basement studio Abeshouse built himself.

“I found that I was really good coaching people through the process,” he told NPR. “This rhythm isn’t right; this line would speak much better if you aimed for this note. You try to find the essence of the music that you’re playing.”

Abeshouse said he wanted his clients to feel safe and loved during the pressure of recording sessions.

“I didn’t care about mistakes because we could always edit that out,” he said. “And to see people come in at the beginning — they were kind of nervous at the beginning. And there was always a point where you could see a change, where people would relax. You could see it and you could hear it.”

“We’ve made many many recordings together,” violinist Joshua Bell told NPR. “I’ve spent many hours with him in the studios, doing a process which is usually excruciating for me. But with him it always became a fun time together. Those moments have been so precious to me.”

Bell spoke to NPR during the farewell concert organized by another of Abeshouse’s celebrity clients, pianist Lara Downes. Musicians flew in from all over the world to be there, including Jeremy Denk, the MacArthur “genius grant” winning pianist.

“Adam has a combination of exactitude and patience,” Denk said. “That’s extremely essential for this kind of work. He’s also pretty interested in the individual character of each musician — what they’re trying to say, and what they’re after, what their dreams and goals in life are in a certain way.”

Denk performed an Ives sonata. The string trio Time for Three played an original composition entitled “Joy.” Abeshouse produced a record with the group performing with the Philadelphia Orchestra. The recording won two Grammys and Abeshouse said the project was one of the highlights of his career.

Time for Three’s violinist and vocalist Nick Kendall said Adam Abeshouse was the most selfless and talented producer the group had ever worked with.

“What he said to us before we saw him last is a reflection of how he is selfless,” said Kendall. “Before we left, he said, ‘Boys, just continue listening to each other.’ That hit us huge, and will always live with us.”

In 2002, Adam Abeshouse founded the Classical Recording Foundation to help artists record music they were passionate about but might not have economic appeal. Because he said, “Recordings are just as important an art form as live performance.”