Like a lot of young women with impeccable penmanship and a compulsion to anthologize, Christina Gaston had a handwritten list of her favorite things in the world:
-Love for my family.
-Going to the movies.
-First snowfall.
-Driving to music lessons and performances.
-Christmas.
-Libraries.
-Museums.
She was a woman of disarming beauty, charisma and compassion; a woman who relished the smell of dusty book stores, who collected antiques before it was trendy; a woman whose eyelashes and lips made Audrey Hepburn look frankly plain; a woman who was not above walking a mile through snow in six-inch heels to volunteer; a woman who loved, above all, music.
“Music was Christina’s voice for self-expression” wrote Christina’s sister Cassandra and mother Elizabeth in a prepared statement for Scene. “She always enjoyed performing, whether it was on stage in a symphony hall or stopping by the Seniors Center to brighten up their day.”
She started playing violin at a very young age, back when the instrument’s body was roughly the size of her torso. She was living in the Dominican Republic with her family at the time and cultivated a love of music alongside her big sister who played cello, piano and guitar. Practicing four hours a day, which Christina routinely did as a child, wasn’t only a testament to her discipline and perfectionism; it was even more a testament to her passion.
In 1985, when she was only six, Christina’s father and grandfather were killed in a tragic car accident. The three Gaston women moved back to the states, near Atlanta, to be closer to Elizabeth’s family.
“[We] were like the three musketeers,” wrote the Gastons. “One for all and all for one.”
This merry trio of strong, intelligent, cosmopolitan women hop-scotched the nation to see its finest museums and cultural centers. Traveling together, learning about the world, appreciating art in all its forms — it was Christmas all year round.
Christina’s love of music and art followed her, even as she aged. She obtained academic degrees in music and played in symphonies and ensembles from Battle Creek to Poland. And despite her commitment to constantly perfecting her own artistry, she never stopped giving. She would frequently teach violin lessons to beginners (often for free) and participated in music outreach programs through CIM to spread her love of music to local schools.
When a serious injury short-circuited what would have been a prolific musical performance career in 2010, Christina found solace in her love of museums and a professional home at the Cleveland Museum of Art. She worked there until being offered the position of managing director at ChamberFest Cleveland.
“I really loved working with Christina,” wrote Diana Cohen, the Executive Director of ChamberFest. “She brought warmth, class and professionalism to our growing organization. She was a fantastic colleague and her contributions will always be remembered and appreciated greatly.”
But even more than her contributions to the cultural community —- which were significant, even at her young age — friends will remember her more for her laugh and her smile and her infectious charisma.
“Her laugh….it was amazing. Just this amazing guffaw,” said one of her best friends from the Cinematheque. “And she was just absolutely gorgeous. I remember once, it was at a Humphrey Bogart movie, I thought, God, it should be her up on that screen.”
Her family will remember her, always, for her eternal reserve of goodness: donating her gorgeous long hair to locks of love, inviting foreign-exchange students home for the holidays.
“At antique malls, if Christina saw old photos, she would buy them saying, ‘They are somebody’s family, and they need a home.’” Cassandra wrote.
Like sisters tend to do, Christina and Cassandra diverged in their interests and careers as they got older, but remained best friends, visiting each other as often as they could no matter where they lived.
“I couldn’t help but constantly smile and laugh when we were together.” Cassandra wrote. “No matter how old we got, it’s as if we were two giggly, carefree teenage girls having fun. Christina had a unique way of bringing out the best in me.”
Cassandra also wrote that Christina felt a deep connection to Cleveland and that after college, she had opportunities to go all over the world, but she wanted to return here. She lived in Cleveland longer than she lived anywhere else in her life.
And for a true beauty like Christina — a soul beauty — she could’ve graced her friends and family and Cleveland, Ohio, with her presence for 1,000 more years and it wouldn’t have been long enough. Not nearly.
STATEMENT FROM GASTON FAMILY 10/28/2013:
We would like to thank the overwhelming number of Christina’s friends and other people in the community who have reached out to us across multiple states to extend their support and kindness. Unfortunately, we were forced to make her online memorial/tribute wall private. However, if you would like to contact us regarding Christina, we encourage you to email us in confidence at christinagastonfamily@gmail.com.
We greatly appreciate that Scene has tried to show respect and sensitivity to our family and Christina while reporting this story.
This article appears in Oct 30 – Nov 5, 2013.
Bravo to Scene magazine for busting this story wide open. The CMA board, the CMA administration, the “newspaper” known as the plain dealer, and last but not least the keystone kops in Cleveland Heights make us look like a bunch of ignorant hillbillies. And how DARE MR. Franklin claim, from this “missing” text say she was depressed at work. WTF? She was working for the magnificent Chamberfest, a reason to be extremely proud of Cleveland. Our NEW crown jewel! No one could be depressed working for CF. Franklin Cohen’s heartfelt tribute to Christina Gaston at the second to last concert in Mixon Hall was so moving. I didn’t know any of them but both Franklin Cohen and his beautiful brilliant daughter Diana made everyone feel like part of their family through the whole second season. And I was so sad for them because something terrible had clearly happened. He dedicated the hauntingly lovely Brahm’s clarinet quintet to her. Now it all makes tragic sense.
MR. Franklin has made a career out of his renaissance knowledge and also of destroying evidence. He should remember what happened to Caravaggio.
Goodbye, lovely lady, and may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest….
We knew Christina and loved her as a friend, a superb musician, a cherubic spirit, and a woman of impulse and whimsy. Her mere entrance into a room illuminated the area, and her infectious enthusiasm touched all within her aura. She is deeply missed, and we are grateful for the Scene journalists for taking on Goliath in their attempt to bring Christina the justice she so richly deserves. God Bless the memory of a beautiful woman.
Christina was a very special, unique, warm, and interesting person. She is really missed by a lot of people.
thank you clevescene for providing this loving tribute.
and thank you clevescene for continuing to not let the real answers regarding christina and this tragic situation be buried in cleveland.
your investigative reporting and asking the tough but needed questions will not only reveal more hidden and obfuscated truths, but ultimately, provide some solace to christina’s loving family and friends.
?
I am disgusted that Cleveland Scene thinks this article paying tribute to Christina makes up for the fact that they chose to publish the horrific details of her death. What happened to Christina was so very sad; I hate that Scene writers are patting themselves on the back right now after they chose to dig up such personal information because it made their story about David Franklin more compelling, juicier. I don’t think Christina’s name or how she died was anyone’s business but her family’s.
Of course, you can’t undo news, and perhaps this is their apology. But I think Christina’s family deserves a real one.
Having read other, related articles, it appears that the Gaston family are actively involved with Scene’s continued reporting on Christina’s apparent suicide and have been pushing for a renewed investigation into the circumstances of her death. I was putting myself in their shoes but it wasn’t my place. If this helps bring them healing, then I am grateful.
But speaking from personal experience, one of the worst things about suicide is that it makes people desperate to place blame as a way of making sense of it all but you can’t actually hold someone responsible for another person’s suicide. Depression distorts reality, and it is this disease that is the real culprit.
I hope that Scene is taking great care to do the proper diligence here because it appears that several people are accepting their statements of unanswered questions and vague suspicions as cold, hard evidence of something much more sinister (murder? or only tampering with evidence?)
I don’t believe the family is desperate or trying to place blame. They have factual and legitimate questions and concerns that been blatantly ignored. Any family would want those to be answered, regardless of the manner in which someone dies.
CASSANDRA, SHAME ON THE PERSON WHO DID THIS TO CHRISTINA. HE SHOULD BE PAYING FOR WHAT HE DID. PLEASE DON’T LET HIM GETAWAY WITH MURDER.