from Joshua Bell: [View all]

'I am incredibly privileged to have had some moments with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I will always remember performing for her at a Supreme Court 'salon' concert, before which we were given a pre-concert tour of her office. While she showed us around, operatic voices streamed softly from her speakers, confirming one of her 'notorious' passions. At our performance that followed, she sat in the front row, a mere five feet away, an unassuming but dignified presence which inspired us to give it our all. At dinner afterwards, we discussed music. Although she clearly knew a lot about the subject, she never pontificated, choosing instead to ask the opinions of those around her. I was struck by her humility and grace.

It seems appropriate to me that Justice Ginsburg's first name rhymes with 'truth.' Her profound allegiance to truth was evident in everything she did, from her work on the bench to her deep love of classical music, which she must have recognized as one of humanity's most successful attempts at finding it.'