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Born: August 14, 1949 - New York, New York, USA
Died: June 20, 2021 - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
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The American-born Canadian violinist and music director, Jeanne Lamon, was raised in New York State, and began studying the violin at the age of 7. Later she attended Brandeis University in Boston where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree studying violin with Robert Koff, the original second violinist of the Juilliard Quartet. From Brandeis University Jeanne left the USA to study in Holland with Hermann Krebbers, then the concertmaster of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam.
Jeanne Lamon returned to North America in the mid-1970’s to establish her career as a baroque specialist. Jeanne Lamon held the position of concertmaster for 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.
In the late 1970’s, while teaching in the Early Music Department of Smith College in Massachusetts, Jeanne Lamon made two guest appearances in Canada with Tafelmusik, which resulted in an invitation in 1981 offering her the position of Music Director. She resided in Toronto since 1981 and became a Canadian citizen in 1988.
Under Jeanne Lamon's leadership, Tafelmusik 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 Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons, the Juno Award-winning Bach Brandenburg Concertos and the Bach Violin Concertos, among others.
Jeanne Lamon taught at the University of Toronto and Toronto's Royal Conservatory of Music. She received an honorary Doctor of Letters from York University in 1994. In 1996, she became the first recipient of the Muriel Sherrin Award which is presented by the Toronto Arts Council Foundation to artists and creators who have excelled at international initiatives in the fields of music or dance. In 1997, the Alliance Française of Toronto awarded Jeanne Lamon with its newly created Prix Alliance for her contributions to cultural exchanges and artistic ties between Canada and France. In September 1997 she received the Joan Chalmers Award for Creativity and Excellence in the Arts for her artistic direction of Tafelmusik.
In March 1999 the Canada Council for the Arts awarded Jeanne Lamon the 1998 Molson Prize in the Arts, recognizing her outstanding lifetime contribution to the cultural and intellectual life in Canada. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada on Thursday, July 13, 2000 in Ottawa. This award honoured Jeanne Lamon for her distinguished work as a Baroque violinist, concertmaster, chamber musician, teacher, and Music Director of Tafelmusik. In October 2012, She 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.[2] |
