In Loving Memory of Hugh Partridge

It is with tremendous sadness that Triangle Youth Music recognizes the passing of Hugh Partridge, TYM’s Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus. In 1988, Hugh was asked to become the Triangle Youth Philharmonic (TYP) conductor by 35 high school musicians from around North Carolina’s Triangle region. The students presented Hugh with a personally signed, typed letter asking for his leadership in forming a youth orchestra. Hugh said yes, and TYP’s first concert took place on May 22, 1988. After this, the Philharmonic Association (now TYM) was formed, and Hugh proceeded to pour his heart, talent, time, and skill into leading as Artistic Director and TYP Conductor for over 30 years, working in close collaboration with his wife, Margaret McElrath Partridge.

Under Hugh and Margaret’s meticulous and passionate leadership, TYM grew from one ensemble of thirty-five musicians to include multiple orchestral ensembles, eventually adding a jazz program in 2005. When Hugh became Artistic Director Emeritus in 2019, TYM served over 500 students annually through 8 different ensembles ranging from chamber groups to full-size jazz and orchestral ensembles. Hugh led the organization on two trips overseas to perform in England, collaborating with the City of Hull Youth Symphony Orchestra (Raleigh’s sister city in the UK). TYP also performed under Hugh’s direction at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC, and participated in both inaugural galas for North Carolina Governor Michael Easley in 2005 and 2009. Together, Hugh and Margaret spearheaded collaborations with a multitude of other arts organizations, living composers, conductors, and community groups. The organization received multiple awards and recognitions during their tenure, including the 2012 Medal of Arts from the City of Raleigh, North Carolina Arts Commission, as well as the 2011 Business Support of the Arts Award in the Arts Education category from the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County.

Hugh often said that the musicians of TYM should not be treated as students but as professionals. He worked diligently to foster an environment where young musicians were treated with respect, inspired to strive for the highest artistic standards possible, and had the opportunity to learn and perform the greatest music in the orchestral and jazz repertoires. Hugh’s legacy continues in the lives of every single musician who has participated in TYM over the 36 years since its founding.

Hugh graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1958. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Music degree in Viola from Indiana University in Bloomington, where he studied with William Primrose, and a Masters of Music degree in Violin and Viola from Butler University in Indianapolis. Hugh’s long career as a professional musician included serving as the Principal Viola of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Santa Fe Opera and the North Carolina Symphony (1976 – 2006). He served on the faculty of Butler University, Wichita State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2003, Hugh received the Raleigh Medal of Arts in recognition of his “extraordinary achievement in the Arts.” In 2005 he was the recipient of the Maxine Swalin Outstanding Music Educator Award, presented by the North Carolina Symphony. In 2018, he received the Business Support of the Arts award in the Arts Education category from the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County.

It is not possible to fully articulate Hugh’s impact on Triangle Youth Music and the thousands of young musicians who have personally or indirectly benefited from his mentorship, teaching, vision, and tireless work on behalf of TYM and the next generations of musicians. His legacy lives on in each of us whose lives he impacted and who were fortunate to call him a mentor, a teacher, a colleague, and a friend. His work is carried on in the lives of thousands of others who have, in turn, received mentorship and training from his pupils.

Triangle Youth Music extends sincere condolences to Hugh’s entire family. Please visit this link to learn more about Hugh’s incredible accomplishments and ways to celebrate and honor his life.

On behalf of every student who has benefited from the work and mission of TYM - thank you, Hugh, for your extraordinary dedication to music and music education, your tireless work toward the development of the next generation of young musicians, and your meticulous passion for excellence.