Charles Dabney Forbes

Brunswick-Charles Dabney Forbes passed away on July 31st, 2023 in Brunswick, ME. Charlie was born in Cambridge, MA – one of five children of Ethel Cummings Forbes and Mac Forbes (John Malcolm Forbes II). He spent his youth between Cambridge and Naushon Island, and was a regular student (and later teacher) at Greenwood Music Camp in the Berkshires. He attended the Shady Hill School and Phillips Exeter Academy (class of 1954). He then attended Harvard College (class of 1958), and the Manhattan School of Music (M.A. 1962). He is survived by his four grown children: Jessica Swain Forbes, Tobias English (formerly Edward Kelly “Toby” Forbes), David Manzer Forbes, and Jonathan Manzer Forbes – and one granddaughter: Sierra Isabella Forbes Tomic. He is survived by his second wife Missy Manzer, and his third wife Shane Scanlin. His first wife, Elissa English, passed away in 1984. Charlie is survived by his sister Joan Forbes Koponen, and predeceased by his other siblings Beryl Forbes Eddy, Holly Forbes Leon, and Jock Forbes. He leaves behind numerous beloved nieces and nephews. Charlie spent his career as a professional cellist, teacher, and chamber music performer and coach in New York City, the Berkshires, and Philadelphia. He studied cello under many revered teachers in his youth, most notably Pablo Casals. Charlie was principal cellist with the American Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Princeton Chamber Orchestra, the Springfield, MA Symphony, and the Vermont Symphony. He was a founding member of the Mohawk Trail Concert Series in the Berkshires, which just celebrated its 53rd year. Charlie performed four solo recitals at Carnegie Recital Hall, and was a founding member of the New York Camerata, a chamber group with whom he played for 40 years & toured widely. The New York Camerata commissioned avant-garde composer George Crumb to create his seminal work “Voice of the Whale,” which they frequently performed. With several groups/orchestras, he recorded multiple albums during his career. Charlie was on the faculties of Smith College, Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Exeter Academy, the Manhattan School of Music, and the University of Delaware. Beginning in 1994, Charlie invented and marketed the ‘Forbes Music Scroller’, an automatic sheet music solution for eliminating the problem of page turns. Charlie was a lifelong adventurer, rode motorcycles through his 20’s and 30’s (with a sidecar for the cello!), enjoyed climbing from the Tetons to the Swiss Alps, was an avid photographer who insisted on sticking with film and his own darkroom, flew small Cessna airplanes & gliders, and jogged/kayaked/biked into his mid-80’s. Charlie maintained lifelong friendships, particularly with friends from Greenwood, Exeter, and Harvard, some spanning 70 years. His love for Naushon Island endured for the entirety of his life. This included house parties at Newkit, musical gatherings, madrigal sings, and other performances – in addition to sailing, swimming, sheeping, kayaking, windsurfing, and all the Forbes favorites at Naushon & Pasque. The immediate family will hold a private burial, and a memorial service will be scheduled for summer 2024 at Naushon Island. In lieu of flowers or cards, his children ask that you consider a donation in his honor to the National Association for Music Education, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, or the Environmental League of Massachusetts. Arrangements are under the direction of the Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland, ME.