Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

February 10, 1908 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Death

:

March 9, 2000 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Concerto

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Vocal

 

Jean Coulthard was a Canadian composer who was born on February 10, 1908, in Vancouver, British Columbia. She was the youngest of four children and grew up in a musical family. Her father, John Coulthard, was a violinist and conductor, and her mother, Ethel Stark, was a violinist and the first woman to conduct the Montreal Women's Symphony Orchestra. Coulthard began her musical education at an early age, studying piano with her mother and violin with her father. She also studied composition with her father and later with the composer and conductor, Frederick Jacobi. In 1926, she received a scholarship to study at the Juilliard School in New York City, where she studied composition with Bernard Wagenaar and piano with Ernest Hutcheson. After completing her studies at Juilliard, Coulthard returned to Vancouver and began her career as a composer. She was a prolific composer, writing over 350 works in a variety of genres, including orchestral, chamber, vocal, and choral music. Her music was influenced by a variety of styles, including the music of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, and Debussy, as well as the folk music of Canada and other countries. One of Coulthard's early works was her String Quartet No. 1, which she composed in 1931. The quartet was premiered by the Hart House String Quartet in Toronto in 1932 and was well-received by critics. The quartet is a lyrical and expressive work that showcases Coulthard's skill as a composer. In 1933, Coulthard married the composer and conductor, Harry Adaskin, and the couple moved to Montreal, where Adaskin had been appointed conductor of the Montreal Women's Symphony Orchestra. Coulthard continued to compose during this time, and her music began to gain recognition in Canada and abroad. One of Coulthard's most famous works is her Piano Concerto No. 1, which she composed in 1950. The concerto was premiered by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, with Coulthard herself as the soloist. The concerto is a virtuosic and expressive work that showcases Coulthard's skill as a pianist and composer. Coulthard's music was also influenced by her interest in literature and poetry. She often set the works of Canadian poets to music, including the poems of E.J. Pratt, Bliss Carman, and Archibald Lampman. One of her most famous vocal works is her song cycle, "Four Irish Songs," which she composed in 1947. The cycle sets the poems of the Irish poet, Padraic Colum, to music and is a beautiful and evocative work. In addition to her work as a composer, Coulthard was also a respected music educator. She taught at the University of British Columbia from 1952 to 1973 and was a mentor to many young composers. She was also a founding member of the Canadian League of Composers and served as its president from 1960 to 1962. Coulthard's music has been performed by many of the world's leading orchestras and ensembles, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Her music has also been recorded by many prominent musicians, including pianist Jon Kimura Parker and soprano Tracy Dahl. Jean Coulthard died on March 9, 2000, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the age of 92. She was a pioneering composer who helped to establish a Canadian voice in classical music. Her music is characterized by its lyricism, expressiveness, and emotional depth, and it continues to be performed and admired by musicians and audiences around the world.

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