The beautiful but coarse sound of the violins echoed the mood particularly well last night at the Tsai Performance Center as faculty, students, family and friends came together to commemorate the late College of Fine Arts professor John Daverio with the most fitting memorial song.

The well-known and well-respected chairman of the musicology department went missing on March 16 and was discovered by the Northeastern University crew team in the Charles River about one month later. Police never made a determination of how he ended up in the river.

Part of the healing process took place last night in the packed auditorium. While a memorial service for Daverio’s death took place last May, last evening’s ceremony aimed at celebrating his life.

The music selected paralleled the professor’s interests and areas of expertise.

‘Every day we remember John,’ said André de Quadros, director of CFA’s School of Music and a professor of music. ‘Tonight is a tribute to him the music speaks for itself.’

The show opened with music by Antonio Vivaldi, performed by CFA’s Chamber Orchestra and conducted by Samuel Pascoe, a former student of Daverio.

Johannes Brahms’ work, played by Yuri Mazurkevich and Maria Clodes, comprised the second portion, and the concert concluded with an intense performance of Robert Schumann’s work played by members of the Muir String Quartet, including Peter Zazofsky, Lucia Lin, Steven Ansell and Michael Reynolds. Daverio was known for his expertise concerning Shumann’s work.

Dana Mazurkevich, a long-time friend of Daverio, had performed many times with him and said he ‘was a loyal and caring friend.’

Following intermission, de Quadros announced future events dedicated to Daverio, including ‘Lament for John’ on Dec. 8. Chancellor John Silber has commissioned a work to be composed and performed at a Symphony Hall concert, and a music symposium in Daverio’s honor has been tentatively planned for fall 2004.

De Quadros also officially announced that a scholarship in Daverio’s name is being created for music students, and he asked the audience for contributions.

Nearly everyone chuckled when asked to comment on Daverio’s personality and spoke as if his good character was a given and his friendliness common knowledge.

One of Daverio’s former students, Andrew List, reflected on his time with Daverio.

‘He was funny and very supportive,’ he said. ‘He was extremely bright and still very easy going easy going on the surface, but his personality ran deep.’

Another student said the memory of Daverio continues.

‘It has been hard to deal with the loss, but we have tried to move on knowing his spirit is still with us,’ said CFA senior Terry Doe. ‘He was so motivational that we still remain focused even now because that’s what he would have wanted.’

Gigi Turgeon, a former student of Daverio’s who graduated in 1994, said she missed having her professor around.

‘He was a friend and a mentor,’ Turgeon said. ‘He inspired great confidence in all his students. His wonderful spirit will be greatly missed.’