Cellist Pays Tribute to Former FSU President - Her "Grandma"

BY TY DEMARTINO ’90

On a crisp Saturday afternoon this past September, “Catherine’s Waltz,” a hauntingly sweet melody performed on the cello, drifted through the upper quad of the FSU campus.

The original piece was written in memory of the late Dr. Catherine Gira, 13th president of Frostburg State University. And the cellist was Ellen Gira, Catherine’s granddaughter. The waltz was played during Frostburg’s annual Appalachian Festival, only a few steps from the Catherine R. Gira Center for Communications and Information Technology.

It was a surreal and emotional moment for Ellen, a professional cellist, who was just a small girl when her grandmother served as the head of the University. She and her brother, Brad, who grew up in Potomac, Md., would often visit Frostburg when they were little.

“I have lots of memories of Frostburg,” said Ellen, who fondly recalled attending FSU football games and riding in the Homecoming parade with her grandmother. “I had no idea what a big deal she was. In my mind, she was just Grandma.”

And like her “Grandma,” Ellen was always interested in the arts. She studied classical music at the Cleveland Institute of Music. There, she developed an interest in traditional and folk music. She is currently working on her doctorate at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and St. Andrews. Ellen has even performed for King Charles of England. It was a monumental event that her late grandmother would have adored, as Catherine was an expert in Shakespearean literature and a lover of all things British. She passed that passion onto her granddaughter.

“She left me with a love of learning and a curiosity about other cultures. I find that in my musical adventures.”

Ellen has been touring internationally, playing cello with Jocelyn Pettit on fiddle. This past September was the duo’s second time performing at the Appalachian Festival. She hopes to come back to Frostburg and honor her grandmother’s memory again.

“It really feels like a homecoming. I can feel my Grandma’s presence all around. It’s an honor. … And what a legacy.”

Ellen Gira performing at the Appalachian Festival

Dr. Catherine Gira, former FSU President