"Beloved" is a word often used in obituaries, but in talking about the death of pianist-accompanist Kristin Pankonin it is spoken far beyond the circle of her family and friends, encompassing much of the Bay Area music community. As she supported both young singers and famous stars during her career, they all rallied around her when she was in need of "accompaniment."
During her brave and public battle with cancer since 2009, fund-raising concerts for her included Frederica von Stade, Marnie Breckenridge, the late Zheng Cao, Catherine Cook, Michael Dean, Lisa Delan, Nicolle Foland, Maryam Mahvi, Nanette McGuinness, J Raymond Meyers, Christa Pfeiffer, Bruce Rameker, Raeeka Shehabi-Yaghmai, Krista Wigle, and pianists Tim Bach and Robert Schwartz.
With special interest in contemporary music, she worked extensively with such composers as Mark Adamo, John Corigliano, Jake Heggie, David Garner, and Gordon Getty.
Pankonin died on July 20, at the age of 54. She received her master's degree in piano accompanying from the S.F. Conservatory in 1989, and served as staff accompanist at the Conservatory and Mills College, seeing a whole generation of singers launched on their careers.
Besides her work in the Bay Area, Pankonin's appearances included venues such as Lincoln Center, Festival del Sole (Napa) and the Tuscan Sun Festival (Cortona, Italy), Carmel Music Society, Mainly Mozart Festival (San Diego), the A. Jess Shenson Recital Series at Stanford, and others. Her commercial recordings include And if the Song be Worth a Smile, Phenomenon, and The Hours Begin to Sing, all on PentaTone Classics.
In 2001, Pankonin was appointed Music Director of the Danville Congregational Church, a position she held until her death. From 1989 to 2001, she was married to Gregory Dahl; their daughters are Adrienne and Julia Pankonin-Dahl.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. July 31 at Danville Congregational Church.