Robert Cavarra was “passionate about music” and it showed through the number of students he influenced, said Cindy Lindeen-Martin, a professional organist and former Cavarra student.
Lindeen-Martin, minister of music and organist at Augustana Lutheran Church in Denver, was one of the organists playing for Cavarra’s funeral Friday.
Cavarra, who was a professor of music at Colorado State University in Fort Collins for 37 years, died of kidney failure on Feb. 8. He was 73.
Cavarra, who started playing the organ before he started school, gave concerts in several European countries as well as playing in Colorado churches. He taught at Teikyo Loretto Heights University and St. Thomas Seminary in Denver and recorded several CDs.
Cavarra was “a marvelous teacher,” said Lindeen-Martin, but he also was “a hospitable person. He loved to entertain and was a fantastic gourmet cook.”
Among those entertained at the Cavarra home in Fort Collins were some of the world’s most accomplished organists, whom Cavarra brought to CSU to teach master classes.
“Playing the organ was a catalyst of a whole network of friendships for him,” said his daughter, Karla Britton of New Haven, Conn.
The family often camped out as they traveled through Europe and Cavarra played organ recitals. But many times they were invited to stay in private homes. “There was something about his personal warmth,” said his daughter.
Robert Nicholas Cavarra was born in North Denver on Feb. 23, 1934. At age 12 he performed publicly, at the Baldwin piano store in Denver.
As a teenager, he often accompanied opera singers, said Britton.
Cavarra earned a bachelor of philosophy from St. Thomas Seminary in Denver and went to Rome to study at the Gregorian College, where he intended to study for the priesthood. While there, he was organist at the North American College.
“But he decided against the priesthood because of the celibacy rule,” said daughter-in-law Amie Cavarra of Denver.
He married Barbara Sedylmeyer.
He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
He taught at CSU from 1963 until 2000, when he became professor emeritus. During his time there he spearheaded the drive to bring a Wurlitzer theater organ to the campus. It is in the Student Center theater.
In addition to his wife and daughter, he is survived by three sons: Christopher Cavarra of Chicago; Stephan Cavarra of Atlanta; and Matthew Cavarra of Denver.
Virginia Culver: 303-954-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com
