Gaetano Molieri, renowned violist

GAETANO A. MOLIERI was a prodigy, playing the violin at age 5.

However, he wound up becoming an internationally known violist because of physical attributes: Long arms and wide hands.

At least, that was the idea of one of his teachers as Gaetano was growing up in South Philadelphia. By the time he got to South Philadelphia High School, the viola was his instrument.

Gaetano Molieri, a member of the viola section of the Philadelphia Orchestra for 30 years, whose artistry graced a number of other ensembles over the years and who played for some of the greatest conductors in recent history, died Friday. He was 87 and lived in South Philadelphia.

He was also a teacher who helped to mold the careers of numerous other artists. He taught viola and was a chamber-music coach at the University of Minnesota before joining the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1970.

"He took great pride in those positions," his family said.

Molieri was versatile enough that he also could play popular music, as he did with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, in New York City.

Before becoming a full member of the Philadelphia Orchestra, he was invited by Eugene Ormandy to accompany the orchestra on its six-week tour of South America in 1966 as assistant principal violist.

After switching from the violin, which he continued to play informally, Molieri was the principal violist in the South Philadelphia High School Orchestra.

He received a full scholarship to the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Max Aronoff and William Primrose, and coached with D.C. Dounis.

He graduated from Curtis at age 21 and was promptly offered an audition to become principal violist with the Kansas City Philharmonic, and, three years later, assumed the same position with the Houston Symphony Orchestra.

In 1955, he joined the Minneapolis Symphony as principal and solo violist, and at the same time taught at the University of Minnesota.

In off seasons, before joining the Philadelphians, Molieri played in New York, for the ballet and with the WQXR Radio Orchestra.

He was active as a recitalist and chamber player with groups such as the Mischakoff String Quartet and the Minneapolis String Quartet, and often participated in music festivals at Chautauqua, N.Y., Marlboro, Vt. and Aspen, Colo. He also recorded with various musical aggregations.

Molieri was proud of having played under celebrated conductors, including Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ormandy, Ricardo Muti, George Solti, Wolfgang Sawallisch and others.

When Muti, the Italian conductor, came to Philadelphia in 1980, Molieri acted as his interpreter.

Besides his music, Molieri enjoyed traveling the world, studying the Italian Renaissance and reading.

He has no immediate survivors.

Services: Funeral Mass 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Epiphany of Our Lord Church, 11th and Jackson streets. Friends may call at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the Monti-Rago Funeral Home, 2533 S. Broad St., and at 9 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, in Yeadon.

Contributions may be made to the William Primrose Viola Scholarship Fund, Curtis Institute, 1726 Locust St., Philadelphia 19103, or the Alfonso Cavaliere Memorial Fund, 2304 S. 12th St., Philadelphia 19148.