Help Greg Repair his Viola & Get Back on his Feet

Hi, my name is Elaine Rinaldi and I am the Artistic Director of Orchestra Miami. I am creating this GoFundMe page to help a valued member of Orchestra Miami and a dear friend, Gregory Falkenstein, who has been serving as Orchestra Miami's principal violist since 2015.

I am trying to help Greg get back on his feet after a string of what could be considered colossally bad luck, as well as personal misfortune. In brief, his abusive domestic partner smashed his valuable handmade Curtin viola, stabbed him, and ruined his credit,; then through bad luck and poor decision-making, Greg became homeless (although, fortunately living temporarily with a friend after a few months of living in his car). To make things worse, his car was flooded in the recent floods in downtown Ft. Lauderdale, with a total loss of the vehicle (it needs a new engine).

Greg confided in me several years ago that he was a victim of domestic abuse and was unable to extricate himself from this abusive relationship. It was painful to watch how this beautiful person became a shell of his former self, often showing up to rehearsal with bruises on his face.

For those of us who have been fortunate enough not to experience this kind of abuse, it is difficult to understand how he could have stayed. How, you ask yourself, can an intelligent, compassionate person allow someone to take complete control of their life, their finances, cut them off from friends and family? It is easy for us to judge. But I saw firsthand how Greg tried repeatedly to leave, and how time and again this person found him, terrorized him, and threatened to hurt or kill those that were trying to help him. Smashing Greg’s viola was an act of violence which was meant to hurt him the most- by destroying his instrument, not only did it take away the thing that he valued and cherished most in this world, but also the financial means to save money so that he could leave the relationship.

I will let Greg tell you his own story below, but I am asking you to please help my friend. He really needs a break and a chance at becoming whole again. I have set a goal of $10,000, which at a minimum will allow him to have his viola repaired and returned too him, and provide some money to replace the engine (estimated at $3,500). In reality, he needs much more than this as he also needs to find an apartment soon. Thank you in advance for your help!

“My name is Gregory Falkenstein. I have lived and worked as a violist in South Florida since 2008. The pride and joy of my life for the past 24 years has been my beautiful viola, made in 1983 by the prominent living maker Joseph Curtin. I had always said that I had no business owning such a fabulous instrument. The purchase of the viola was only made possible by the untimely passing of my mother, who was taken from us by ovarian cancer when she was only 48 years old. As the inheritor of some land, my brother & I shared the proceeds of the sale. At that time, I was in the middle of my fellowship at the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, and I had been struggling mightily with the limitations of the instrument I played then. A violist colleague at NWS owned a Curtin viola and tipped me off to the fact that Mr. Curtin had one of his violas available on consignment sale, priced under market value. I had the instrument shipped to me and fell in love with it immediately. Within a few weeks, the instrument was mine.

From that day forward, I have known the great joy of playing on an instrument without limitations, one that offers infinite possibilities in sound, tone, color, and character—in sum, an instrument that provides a lifetime of artistic growth for the musician. For over 20 years, I earned my living playing on this wonderful instrument. In every orchestra, chamber ensemble, or group in which I performed, colleagues would turn to me at the rehearsal break and say, “What a beautiful sound your viola has!” I knew it was true, and I felt so fortunate to own and play an instrument that made a sound so lovely that it caused listeners to comment.

My viola was violently destroyed before my very eyes on March 7, 2022. The person who was my boyfriend and roommate at the time removed it from its case and smashed it on the tile floor during an argument. This act was the culmination of two years of verbal, physical, and psychological abuse that I endured in the relationship. A few short months later, he stabbed me in the arm with a knife. The neighbors called the police, who came and took him away to jail, as I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Ever since, a restraining order has kept me safe.

People who have never been in an abusive relationship struggle to understand why a person would remain in one. Why not just leave? The truth is that if it were that simple, every victim would just do it. In truth, no one wants to be abused. Yet there may be factors causing the victim to feel as though departure from the relationship is not possible.

One such factor might be the confusion of conflicting emotions, caused by the circular, repeating patterns of behavior the abuser typically exhibits. These cycles of violence and abuse are offset by periods during which the abuser may swear his true love, promise to change, and show contrition for his bad actions. For the victim, the relief and repose offered by the calm half of the cycle of violence is so welcome that it can bring about a state of denial as to how dire the situation truly is.

Another reason a victim might feel trapped is that abusers often use fear and threats of violence and other harmful actions as a means of control. In my case, he would back up his threats by occasionally following through with one of them to show that he was capable of anything. He once grabbed and threw over our fifth-floor balcony a laptop computer that a temporary employer had sent to our home so that I could work on it for the employer. I then faced the painful task of calling the employer to explain the inexplicable—an utterly mortifying experience. He also accessed all the personal information stored on my phone without my knowing it, so that he could credibly threaten to poison a friendship or family relationship, or to call a boss to tell her some crazy lie about me. He also placed my debit card into his virtual wallet so that if I ever tried to escape, he could instantly defund the effort. In sum, there was always a hook that kept me from going.

On the other hand, I made mistakes along the way, and I realize and accept that this is true. I further understand that I must never repeat any of these mistakes. However, the prospect of never having my instrument repaired, or of losing it forever—the very thought fills me with a despair so vast and dark that it could easily destroy me, were I to give in to it. I simply cannot give in. I must do something. But since I cannot do it on my own, I must seek the assistance of others. I recently sent my viola back to Joseph Curtin, who has offered to bring my instrument back to full repair and full appraisal value at a cost of $7,000.00. Considering the price tag of his new instruments (upwards of $60,000-$70,000) and the high demand for them, Mr. Curtin’s offer is both gracious and generous.

Having received the good fortune of Mr. Curtin’s support and assistance, I now turn to all those who, by whatever means, either found or were directed to this page and this narrative. Those who have seen me perform on my viola have witnessed the connection I have with it; they have heard the distinct sound of a performing artist whose instrument is a perfect match for his artistic sensibilities and technique. I humbly ask for donations of any size, no matter how modest, to fund the repair of my viola by its maker. The restoration of my instrument will bring about the full restoration of my life, my happiness, and my direction. Thank you for your support."

About Gregpry Falkenstein

Professional violist, Gregory Falkenstein formerly served nine seasons as a member of The Phoenix Symphony, Arizona's largest performing arts organization. He joined the orchestra as Section Viola in 1999 and went on to be appointed Assistant Principal Viola in 2006. He received tenure in each position. Gregory also served ten seasons as Principal Viola for the Breckenridge Music Festival, a summer festival set high in the Rocky Mountains of Summit County, Colorado. He was featured as a soloist with the festival orchestra on three occasions, including a 2001 performance of Krzysztof Penderecki's Viola Concerto and a 2003 performance of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with violinist Jason Horowitz of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Prior to his tenure in Phoenix, Gregory established his initial connection to South Florida during his three-year fellowship at the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, where he practiced furiously, honed his audition skills, and performed under the baton of the institution's founder Michael Tilson Thomas, as well as under Robert Spano, Marek Janowski, Jahja Ling, Gerard Schwarz, Donald Runnicles, and other distinguished conductors. Gregory has performed with the viola sections of the Atlanta Symphony, Artis Naples, and numerous regional orchestras in New England, the mid-Atlantic and the Midwest. Gregory earned his Bachelor of Music degree at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, as a student of John Graham, and his Master of Music degree at Indiana University Bloomington, as a student of Atar Arad. Gregory was born and raised in York, Pennsylvania. He is a product of the outstanding public schools in York and he is forever grateful to his public educators for placing a viola in his hands for the first time in the third grade at age 9. Absent his hometown's initial investment in his talents, Gregory would not be present on the stage today.