Jacques Linder

Mr. Jacques Linder of Waltham passed away on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. He was 78. 

Jacques was born on September 25, 1945 in Vincennes, Indiana, a son of the late Walter and Grace (Meek) Linder. Raised in Lawrenceville, Illinois, he did his undergraduate work in music at the University of Evansville, and went on to do graduate work at the University of Illinois. He then traveled east to Boston to study with the acclaimed concert pianist and teacher Harriet Shirvan, a student of the legendary Isabella Vengerova. 

Mr. Linder performed at venues in the United States and Europe, and he was a remarkably devoted and insightful teacher.  He served as Assistant Professor of Piano at Clark University in Worcester, MA from 1974-1990. From 1990-2000 he was Director of the Community Music Division and head of that division’s piano program at the University of South Florida. While in Worcester, he co-founded the Commonwealth Competition for Young Pianists. After moving to Waltham in 2015, he served as juror for concerto competitions at New England Conservatory and the Boston Conservatory. Over the years, students of Jacques Linder have been awarded scholarships in piano at The New England Conservatory of Music, Oberlin College Conservatory, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Curtis Institute of Music. A champion of 20^th  and 21^st-century music, Jacques’ commercial recordings feature pieces by Linda Dusman, Thomas DeLio, and Jacques’ husband Wesley Fuller. 

Jacques was married to the late composer Wesley Metcalf Fuller in Newton, Massachusetts in 2015. They had been together for over fifty years. Wesley died on September 24, 2020.

Jacques leaves his step-daughters, Kim Alexandra Fuller of Tucson, Arizona and Catherine Louise Fuller and her husband, Marc-André Hamelin of Waltham; his step-grandchildren including his goddaughter, Alexandra Dominique Botti of New York City and Samantha Mireille Botti of Waltham, and his great-grandchild, James Patrick Shields; his brother and sister-in-law Michael and Carol Linder of Loveland, Colorado; nieces and nephews, and many dear friends.

Jacques had a passion for animals, and he and Wes shared their home with many beloved cats. Memorials in Jacques Linder’s name may be made to: MSPCA – Angell West, 293 2nd Ave, Waltham, MA 02451 or https://www.mspca.org/medical-centers/mspca-angell-west-waltham/

A service to celebrate Jacques’ life will be announced.