Howard Kissel, Longtime Arts Critic, Dies at 69
Monday, February 27, 2012 - 11:36 AM
Howard Kissel, longtime cultural critic and classical music supporter, died Friday of complications due to a liver transplant. He was 69.
Kissel reviewed art and classical music for the Daily News for 20 years, and wrote a Sunday blog for the Huffington Post under the pseudonym the ‘Cultural Tourist.’ He authored two books, and famously played Woody Allen’s manager in the movie Stardust Memories.
Known for his affable manner and passionate interest in all things New York, Kissel’s reputation for loving his profession is strikingly clear in his writing. He was the only person to chair both the New York Drama Critics Circle and the New York Film Critics Circle. In 1994, he served on the drama jury for the Pulitzer Prize.
Kissel’s latest column as the Cultural Tourist was posted just days before his death. His coverage of all the arts - in particular classical music, opera, their performers and audience - will be deeply missed.
Comments [2]
Howard Kissel was a frequent visitor to the Rodgers & Hammerstein offices when I worked there. He was always kind, always patient, and always full of good humor. I bless his memory, and always will.
Good-by, Howard.
We were at Columbia at the same time. All of us knew you were NYC's best lover.
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