Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

Canada

Birth

:

January 2, 1912 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Death

:

2000 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Keyboard

 

Barbara Pentland was a Canadian composer who was born on January 2, 1912, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She was the daughter of a prominent lawyer and a talented pianist, and her family was very supportive of her musical interests from a young age. Pentland began studying piano and composition at an early age, and she showed great promise as a musician. Pentland's family moved to Vancouver when she was a teenager, and she continued her musical studies there. She studied piano with Mona Bates and composition with Jean Coulthard, who would become a lifelong friend and mentor. Coulthard was a major influence on Pentland's musical style, and she encouraged Pentland to pursue a career in composition. In 1932, Pentland moved to London, England, to study composition with John Ireland and piano with Arthur Benjamin. She also attended concerts and operas regularly, and she was exposed to a wide range of musical styles and traditions. Pentland's time in London was a formative period in her musical development, and she returned to Canada in 1935 with a renewed sense of purpose and direction. Pentland settled in Vancouver and began teaching piano and composition. She also became involved in the local music scene, performing as a pianist and collaborating with other musicians. In 1940, she married the painter and sculptor Roy Kiyooka, and the couple had two children. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Pentland continued to compose and perform, and she became increasingly recognized as one of Canada's leading composers. Her music was characterized by its modernist style, with complex rhythms, dissonant harmonies, and unconventional forms. She was also interested in incorporating elements of non-Western music into her compositions, and she studied the music of India and Indonesia in particular. Pentland's most famous works include her String Quartet No. 2, which was premiered in 1953 and won the Canadian Music Council's award for best chamber music composition. The quartet is a complex and challenging work, with intricate rhythms and harmonies that reflect Pentland's interest in non-Western music. Another notable work is her Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, which was premiered in 1957 and features a virtuosic piano part and a lush orchestral accompaniment. In addition to her compositions, Pentland was also a respected teacher and mentor. She taught at the University of British Columbia and the Vancouver Academy of Music, and she inspired many young composers to pursue their own musical careers. She was also a founding member of the Canadian League of Composers and served as its president from 1960 to 1962. Pentland continued to compose and perform throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and she received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to Canadian music. She was made a member of the Order of Canada in 1975, and she was awarded the Canadian Music Council Medal in 1981. Barbara Pentland passed away on February 5, 2000, at the age of 88. She left behind a rich legacy of music and a lasting impact on Canadian music. Her compositions continue to be performed and studied today, and she remains an inspiration to generations of composers and musicians.

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