NORTH SANDWICH ---- Berklee Musician, Composer, and Mentor: Former Berklee College of Music professor, Michael Rendish, 82 passed away peacefully at his home on Friday, January 10, 2025.
Born and raised in Allentown, PA, Michael won the sought-after Down Beat Hall of Fame jazz scholarship to Berklee in 1961. Graduating with Berklee’s first Baccalaureate class in 1966, Michael had begun teaching while still a student the previous year, pioneering the advancement of contemporary music education in multiple areas. In his six decades with Berklee, Michael was consistently involved in developing much of the world's finest talent in contemporary popular music. He shared what he discovered with others, raising their level of ability in amazing ways, profoundly touching musicians around the globe.
As the school expanded throughout the 1970’s, Michael and fellow early graduates developed and taught much of the Berklee curriculum, which is still the foundation in place today. He was the founding chair of Berklee's Harmony Department, and authored and taught courses at all levels of traditional, contemporary, and jazz arranging/composition and acoustics.
As the founding chair of the electronic music program, Michael developed what became the country’s first college-level major in music synthesis in 1971.
In the mid-80’s he joined the Berklee Film Scoring Department as Assistant Chair, and together with Chair Don Wilkins, developed the first undergraduate degree program of its kind. Berklee has since been recognized as the preeminent Hollywood Music School in the country. Awarded in his name, The Michael Rendish Award is given out annually to the screen scoring student who has demonstrated steady and inspired development throughout their Berklee career, and become an exceptional musician and composer.
A gifted pianist and award-winning writer, Michael composed, orchestrated, and conducted some thirty film scores, including Faces of Freedom, A Place of Dreams and Yorktown, and the five-part PBS series America by Design. He was the composer for Academy Award nominee, The Klan: A Legacy of Hate in America.
In 1996 Michael was arranger and guest conductor of the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra with the Billy Pierce Quintet of the 50th Jubilee Concert in honor of the King of Thailand.
Upon moving to New Hampshire in 2000, leaving full-time, on-site teaching at Berklee, Michael turned his focus to his first love — music harmony. He worked to help reach more students world-wide through Berklee Music Online and his courses,
Getting Inside Harmony, which have received several awards from the on-line industry for best content.
In 2018, when Michael suffered kidney failure and needed dialysis, he received a new kidney donated by his wife Nancy. Working with the Dartmouth Hitchcock Transplant team, it was found that Nancy and Michael matched not only in blood type but also in anti-bodies. Michael was able to live six dialysis-free years in a place that he loved, doing what he loved.
Michael is survived and missed by his wife Nancy Collins; son and daughter-in-law Marc and Abby Rendish; daughter Meredith Allyson; sister Donna Pulk; five grandchildren; and two nephews. He is predeceased by his parents, John Rendish and Elizabeth Rendish.
In lieu of flowers, Michael's family invites donations to the Berklee College of Music Michael Rendish Award, 855 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02116, which supports Berklee students majoring in film and media scoring.
Services to honor Michael will be held on Friday, April 11, 2025 at 10:30, Conte Funeral Home, 28 Florence St., Andover, MA 01810.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit wilkinsonbeane.com.