Jeanne Lamon
Jeanne Lamon | |
---|---|
Birth name | Jean Susan Lamon[1] |
Born | New York, New York | August 14, 1949
Died | June 20, 2021 Victoria, British Columbia | (aged 71)
Instrument(s) | Violin |
Jeanne Lamon,
Biography
Lamon was born as Jean Susan Lamon in the Queens borough of New York City and was raised in Larchmont, New York. Her parents were Isaac and Elly Lamon. Lamon said her interest in baroque music came from her mother's love of Bach and her ability to play the piano. At three, she indicated an interest in playing the violin and at the age of seven, she began studying the instrument.[1]
She studied violin at the Westchester Conservatory of Music with Editha Braham and Gabriel Banat. Later she attended
She returned to North America in the mid-1970s to establish her career as a baroque specialist. Lamon held the position of concertmaster and appeared in solo performances with many prestigious ensembles and orchestras in the USA and became in 1974 the first violinist to win the prestigious Erwin Bodky Award for Excellence in the Performance of Early Music.[2]
In the late 1970s, while teaching in the Early Music Department of Smith College in Massachusetts,[3] Lamon made two guest appearances in Canada with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, which resulted in an invitation in 1981 offering her the position of Music Director. Because a female music director was uncommon at that time, she changed her first name from "Jean" to "Jeanne" to avoid giving the impression that "Jean Lamon" was a Frenchman.[1] Lamon has resided in Toronto since 1981[2] and became a Canadian citizen in 1988.[3]
Under Lamon's leadership, Tafelmusik has achieved international stature and is considered one of the best ensembles in its field with recordings for various labels, including Philips, Nonesuch, CBC Records, Sony Classical and Analekta. Her solo recordings include
Lamon taught at
In March 1999, the
Most recently, Lamon was appointed a
In October 2012, Lamon announced that after 33 years of directing Tafelmusik, she would be stepping down as full-time music director after the 2013/14 season after a career of recording, performing, and touring.[6]
On June 20, 2021, Lamon died from lung cancer in Victoria, British Columbia at the age of 71. She leaves Christina Mahler, her life partner of 43 years and a former cellist in Tafelmusik. (Lamon and Mahler met in Amsterdam.) After Mahler had retired from Tafelmusik in 2019, the two had moved to Victoria, and both continued to give concerts as guest artists.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e Morrow, Martin (June 25, 2021). "Dynamic leader built Tafelmusik into one of the world's best baroque orchestras". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Violinist and Tafelmusik music director Jeanne Lamon has died aged 71". The Strad. June 21, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Jeanne Lamon". The Canadian Encyclopedia. March 4, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ a b "Jeanne Lamon (Conductor, Violin)". Bach Contatas Website. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "Biography – Jeanne Lamon, C.M." (PDF). Tafelmusiek. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ a b "Jeanne Lamon to step down at Toronto's Tafelmusik". CBC. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- ^ "New Appointees to the Order of Ontario". January 23, 2014.
Sources
External links
- Interview with Jeanne Lamon, November 11, 1993
- Article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
- Jeanne Lamon discography at Discogs
- Jeanne Lamon at IMDb
- Vivaldi & Bach: The Trio Sonata in the 18th Century on YouTubepublished by Early Music Vancouver featuring Jeanne Lamon playing and being interviewed in July 2020