Celebration of Life Service: Rosita Mang
Rosita Mang’s soul was filled with the love of music, and passion for life, family, and friends. Please join her family in the celebration of her life on February 17, at the United Christian Parish in Reston at 1:00.
Saturday, February 17th
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
United Christian Parish
11508 North Shore Drive
Reston, VA 20190
Memories by Lori Santos
On October 28, 2023, NVMTA lost one of its most devoted members.
I knew of Rosita Mang long before we met due to her reputation as a teacher. I had heard some of her wonderful students at various events and masterclasses, and I was always amazed by her talented students. When we met, it didn’t occur to me that we would become such close friends. Rosita called me one day sixteen years ago, and invited me to lunch. We had such fun that day, and from that day on, I knew that we would have a lasting friendship.
One day, years ago, when I mentioned that I wanted to make some changes to my studio and my teaching, Rosita invited me to observe some of her lessons. She had such a passion for music and a passion for teaching. The love Rosita had for each of her students was so incredibly special. Every student’s name, when they entered her studio, suddenly changed to “Precious,” and they were very precious to her. One memory that will always stand out to me is the time that one of her very young students cried when her lesson was over. The child didn’t want to leave, because she was having such fun. While Rosita had extremely high expectations, she taught with an abundance of love, and sometimes even tough love.
The Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association was a big part of Rosita’s life. Every year she looked forward to entering her students in the Northern District Auditions, the Piano Concerto Competition, and Piano Concerto Festival. She especially loved the piano concerto events. When she was able, Rosita would attend every event in which her students were entered. She was their support and cheerleader!
NVMTA meant a lot to Rosita, and she devoted an incredible amount of time serving the organization through her many chairmanships. She served on the executive board of NVMTA for many years. Rosita also placed great value on the many friendships she developed over the years with other NVMTA members.
Northern District Auditions chairman 1998 – 2004
Programs Chair 1998 – 2000, 2013-2014
Member at Large 2000 – 2001, 2003 – 2006
Need Based Scholarship Competition Chair 2000 – 2001
Healey/Ford Chair 2001 – 2003
Piano Achievement Awards Chair 2005 – 2006
Judged Recitals Chair 2006 – 2008
Courtesy Committee (with Virginia Moore) 2007 – 2008
Memories by Amy Rothstein
“Rosita had some very interesting guests and topics for NVMTA when she was program chair. I particularly liked a program where she had us compare recordings of different pianists playing the same pieces to see what our personal tastes were. Her examples were fascinating, and in some cases, so surprising as to who the artist was. She also brought back grown men who were “child star” musicians to hear them play chamber music. She and I would have interesting discussions about Israel.”
Memories by René Johnson
“Rosita was one of the first NVMTA members I met when I moved to Virginia in 1991. She always asked me about my children. I enjoyed her programs too. One I remember particularly was on Performance Etiquette. She always spoke animatedly and with great passion about piano teaching. I loved that she wrote little concertos for her young students to play.” An article from The Washington Post (9/13/90) about one of her 9 year old students who performed a Mozart concerto with the Alexandria Symphony captures some of her personality: “Pianist Short on Years But Long on Confidence.“
Memories by Karen Mahler
I studied with Rosita for only the second half of my senior year in high school. During that short time, she flooded me with opportunities I never imagined for myself: performing a concerto with her hired orchestra at Landmark Mall, auditioning for a college music program, and giving a senior recital at the World Bank. I learned a new way to practice which prepared me for college and beyond. Rosita was a gifted teacher for me at a pivotal time in my life. Recently, I found a journal entry written shortly after starting lessons with Rosita. I wrote: “Mrs. Mang is such a kind, caring person. After every lesson, she says, “Love ya!” – so simple, yet so sincere.” Thank you, sweet Rosita, for your love, encouragement, and talent which opened so many doors for my life.
Please feel free to share any memories that you may have of Rosita Mang with Rene Johnson (r@renej.us), and they will be posted on the nvmta.org blog page.
