We in the Chronogram family are among the many others who were saddened to learn of the June 15 passing of William “Bill” Vanaver. The cofounder and music director of the Vanaver Caravan folk music and dance troupe, Bill was one of the Hudson Valley performing arts scene’s most beloved figures, and a true cultural force. He was 82.
Born in Minneapolis on September 1, 1943, and raised in Philadelphia, Vanaver became obsessed with folk music and other folk forms from around the world at an early age and would study them passionately for the rest of his life. A skilled musician, he played guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, oud, pipa, tambura, and numerous other stringed instruments and was deeply versed in Appalachian/North American, Balkan, Middle Eastern, and other folk music traditions, and composed his own vibrant and moving music as well.
In 1971, he met his wife and muse, dancer Livia Vaanver, with whom he established the Vanaver Caravan in 1972. Based in New Paltz, the group featured adult and youth ensembles and performed around the world and appeared at such prestigious dance festivals as the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the Smithsonian American Folklife Festival, the Biennale de la Danse in Lyon, France, and the Sidmouth International Festival in England. The Vanvers were focused on fostering peace and social wellness while blending dance and music from around the world. A collaboration with the Friendship Ambassador’s Foundation took them to Romania and Bulgaria, where they worked with the Balkan Peace and Reconciliation Conference, and in 2002 they developed a program for 9/11 victims that used the arts to heal children and adults.
A personal favorite memory of Bill comes from one of the monthly Cafe Chronogram arts salons that I used to organize for the magazine. This one featured a talk by radio host Rich Conaty (also now, sadly, departed) and a solo performance by Bill. At the end of the night, our founding publisher Jason Stern introduced his son Asher, who was probably around three years old at the time, to Bill, a longtime New Paltz friend. Bill immediately began strumming the chords to folk blues legend Elizabeth Cotton’s plaintive “Freight Train” on his guitar and singing to Asher, replacing the song’s title refrain of “Freight train, freight train” with “Asher, Asher.” The little boy looked up in wide-eyed wonder, amazed that the older man somehow knew a song with his name in it. It was a very sweet scene, and it seemed to sum up Bill’s kindness along with the quiet power of the music he loved.
Bill Vanaver is survived by his wife Livia Vanaver and their sons, Elijah, Shiloh, and Gabriel Vanaver and his brother, Warren. Our sympathies go out to them and his many friends, collaborators, and fans. A memorial at Legacy.com features a virtual guestbook for those who wish to share their memories of Bill.
This article appears in June 2025.
