...chronicled the people, the trends, and the events that shaped the industry, earning a global readership and the respect of his peers. His coverage was informed by an encyclopedic knowledge of the industry, an intimate familiarity with its primary players, and a commanding intellect. He brought such a high level of acuity to his analysis, industry executives regularly sought him out for advice on mergers and acquisitions, personnel decisions, and corporate strategy.

John F. Majeski was born in New York City on May 17, 1921, and grew up immersed in the music industry. His father, John F. Majeski Sr., had joined The Music Trades magazine and its then sister publication Musical America in 1911 as an 18-year-old assistant bookkeeper. Magazine founder John C. Freund took a liking to the personable and energetic young man and quickly promoted him. By 1921, he had been named vice president and publisher. He acquired the two magazines on July 30, 1929, three years after Freund’s death. Majeski Jr. received his introduction to the family business in 1936 when he was dispatched to New York Harbor to chronicle the return of a Hohner accordion that had accompanied Admiral Robert Peary on his 1909 North Pole expedition.

 Majeski displayed academic prowess at an early age. He was a voracious reader and mastered subjects so easily that he skipped several grades in elementary school. He graduated Fordham Preparatory School at age 15 and, rather than enrolling directly in college, spent the next two years studying at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, where he developed fluency in French and German. His primary academic advisor in Switzerland was the distinguished philosopher Pierre Gilliard, who had served as tutor to the children of Czar Nicholas and then fled to Switzerland in 1919 after the Russian Revolution. In 1939, Majeski enrolled at Fordham University, where he majored in philosophy and distinguished himself as a member of the debate team.

Majeski enlisted in the Army in early 1942 and, because of his language skills and familiarity with France and Germany, was assigned to the Military Intelligence Training Center at Fort Ritchie. There he became a part of a celebrated intelligence unit, dubbed “The Ritchie Boys,” and received extensive training in interrogation techniques and counterintelligence. He was one of the few American-born soldiers in a unit that comprised mainly German-speaking Jews who had fled the Nazis. He entered combat in August of 1944 when he landed in Normandy, France, attached to the intelligence unit of the 95th Infantry Division.

In December of 1945, during the Battle of Metz, one of the bloodiest and most protracted engagements of the war, Majeski won a Bronze Star for valor and also received a Purple Heart. In a commendation signed by General George S. Patton, he was praised for “leading four assault crossings of the Moselle River under heavy fire, in almost intolerable weather conditions of rain, flooding, and bitter cold, greatly contributing to the destruction of a heavily fortified German division.” He rarely mentioned his military experience after the war, but decades later would joke, “It made me appreciate a warm, dry bed.”

Majeski joined The Music Trades and Musical America in 1946 after receiving an honorable discharge. Working closely with his father, he initially divided his time between the two publications. Musical America covered the classical music world, providing business news for artist and venue managers and delivering music reviews for classical music lovers. Over time, he tired of dealing with temperamental artists and their managers, not to mention a staff of high strung music critics, and gravitated to the less glamorous but more straightforward musical instrument industry. In 1951 he took the editor’s title at The Music Trades, and devoted himself exclusively to the music products industry. Musical America was sold in 1960 after Majeski and his father couldn’t resolve disputes over strategy for the publication.

Upon taking over at The Music Trades he began traveling extensively, meeting with retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers around the world to gain a better understanding of the industry. He enjoyed the trips because they yielded highly readable material, but also because he was unstinting in his admiration of the industry’s entrepreneurs and considered many of them close personal friends. An avid photographer since early childhood, he pioneered the use of candid photos in the publication.

If he hadn’t felt the pull of a family business, Majeski most likely would have pursued an academic career. His interests included history, economics, literature, and technology. Throughout his life, he was surrounded by books, journals, and magazines, and spent much of his spare time reading. His broad knowledge added perspective to his writings, and he deftly used literary references and broad philosophical concepts to illuminate industry events.

In March of 1950, he made what he often said was “the best decision of my life” when he married Vivian Anne Treacy. She worked for Columbia Artists Management, two floors below The Music Trades’ offices. The two met in the hallway, had a first date in October, were engaged by Christmas, and married the following April. A music major and an accomplished pianist, she immediately became his most important counsel in running the magazine, and was a regular presence with him at industry events around the world.

Although manufacturers and retailers often tried to influence his coverage, Majeski was unfailingly fair and independent. He remained so as the growth of Japanese piano and musical instrument imports in the late ’60s roiled the industry. U.S. manufacturers claimed unfair trade practices and appealed to the International Trade Commission for protection while the Japanese mounted a spirited defense. Majeski provided such even-handed coverage of the controversy that he managed to irk both sides. After responding to complaints from managers of both Japanese and U.S. manufacturers, he remarked, “If everyone’s mad I must have gotten it right.”

Majeski had empathy and affection for the industry personalities he covered and used the columns of The Music Trades to celebrate their achievements. He fervently believed that creative entrepreneurs were a tremendous force for social and economic advancement, and he liked to cite how industry innovations such as the phonograph, the electronic organ, the electric guitar, and recording technology had enhanced the human condition. A man of strong opinions, he also could be a tough critic of what he saw as misguided policies. At various points he took aim at industry associations, a variety of manufacturer marketing follies, and counterproductive governmental initiatives.

In 1982, Majeski stepped down as The Music Trades’ editor to give increasing responsibilities to his sons, Brian and Paul. “They have proved themselves up to the job, and the best thing I can do is get out of their way,” he said at the time. Although he maintained an interest in the industry and the publication, by 1985 he had removed himself from day-to-day operations. Brian Majeski became editor in 1982 and Paul Majeski took over as publisher in 1985.

In retirement, Majeski and his wife Vivian were inseparable and traveled extensively. In addition to visiting all the capitals of Europe and Asia, they climbed the Andes Mountains in Peru, followed the Silk Route through Western China, tramped the lower Himalayas in Tibet, floated down the Nile, and made successive trips to Antarctica. They also trekked extensively through the national parks and wilderness areas of North America and regularly wintered in Australia and New Zealand.

John Majeski was a longtime member of the New York Athletic Club, the Union League Club of Chicago, and the Knickerbocker Country Club of New Jersey. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Vivian; a daughter, Jane Anne Majeski, a senior examiner with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Brian Majeski, The Music Trades editor and his wife Diane; Paul Majeski, The Music Trades publisher and his wife Jane; and five grandchildren: Cara Majeski-Kukstis, a second-year student at Columbia Business School; Katherine Majeski, an associate with Barclay’s Capital; Paul Majeski Jr., an analyst with Imperial Capital; William Majeski, a senior at the College of William and Mary; and Thomas Majeski, a freshman at Lehigh University.

Majeski will be buried in Arlington Memorial Cemetery with full military honors. Vivian Majeski resides at 3212 The Plaza, Tenafly, New Jersey 07670.