Roger Malitz, 53, of Muncie, Ind., a well known cellist, died Monday, Sept. 3, of a heart attack in Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie. When he was 16, Mr. Malitz won a contest to solo with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It was the beginning of a long and distinguished career as a cellist. After that 1965 stint with the orchestra, he went on to win many music contests. He earned degrees from Chicago Music College of Roosevelt University in Chicago and Chicago Conservatory. At age 21, the Chicago Tribune featured him in a piece about young music-contest winners. He performed worldwide with such ensembles as the Chicago Contemporary Chamber Players, Florida Orchestra, Caracas Philharmonic and National Symphony of South Africa. In 1985, Mr. Malitz became a professor of cello at Ball State University and cellist of the American Piano Trio, which toured the world. “He was a great musician because of the honesty he had in musicmaking,” said Sherry Kloss, a Ball State professor and trio member. He also was “passionate” about teaching cello and “devoted to his students,” she said. Mr. Malitz is survived by two sons, Nathan and Zachary, and his mother, Ruth Malitz Lazar. Services will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday in Temple Beth El, 525 W. Jackson St., Muncie, Ind.
