ICT mourns the passing of Marvin Hamlisch

All of us at the International Campaign for Tibet are deeply saddened by the passing of composer Marvin Hamlisch. Marvin was a long standing and good friend of the Tibetan people. He was an active member of the ICT Board of Directors from 1995 – 2005 and then on ICT’s Board of Advisors until his untimely death on August 6, 2012 at the age of 68.

Marvin’s concern and support for the Tibetan people was unwavering and unassuming. In 1989, when the world was just becoming aware of the situation in Tibet, Marvin and his wife Terre, whom he loved dearly, travelled to Dharamsala, India in order to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama for the first time. Marvin said of that first meeting: “His serenity and graciousness were remarkable, and in many ways he filled us with inspiration. It was an experience I would never forget, and it’s made me continually aware of the monumental tragedy of the Tibetans.” One of the ways that Marvin was inspired was to write a song, which he was able to perform for His Holiness at a celebration in 2007 after His Holiness received the Congressional Gold Medal Honor.