Jean Coulthard facts for kids

Jean Coulthard, OC OBC (February 10, 1908 – March 9, 2000) was a Canadian composer and music educator. A composer writes music, and a music educator teaches it. She was one of three important women composers in Western Canada during the 1900s. The other two were Barbara Pentland and Violet Archer. All three passed away within weeks of each other in the year 2000.

Jean Coulthard's music style was sometimes called "prematurely neo-Romantic." This means her music sounded a bit like older, more emotional music from the Romantic period. This was at a time when many other composers were trying very new and different styles. Some of her well-known compositions include Cradle Song, Threnody, Canadian Fantasy, and her opera Return of the Native.

Life and Music Journey

Jean Coulthard was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her mother, Jean Blake Robinson Coulthard, was a well-known and important music teacher in Vancouver. Jean learned music from her mother from a very young age.

Her mother also introduced her to the music of French composers like Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. Their music had a big influence on Jean throughout her life. From 1924 to 1928, she studied the piano and music theory.

A special scholarship helped her study at the Royal College of Music in London, England, in 1928-1929. There, she learned from famous teachers like Ralph Vaughan Williams. In the 1930s and early 1940s, she continued her studies with other great composers such as Béla Bartók and Aaron Copland.

In 1948, Jean Coulthard met the British composer Elizabeth Poston. They became good friends and wrote many letters to each other for the next 30 years.

Teaching Music

Jean Coulthard started teaching piano privately in 1925. In 1947, she joined the new Music Department at the University of British Columbia (UBC). The head of the department hired her to teach music theory and composition.

She taught composition at UBC until 1973. In 1956-1957, she spent a year in Paris, France, where she started writing an opera. She also finished several important pieces for small groups of instruments and for singers. Later, she spent time in London, England, working with the British composer Gordon Jacob.

Many Canadian composers learned from Jean Coulthard. Some of her students include Chan Ka Nin, Michael Conway Baker, and Lloyd Burritt.

Awards and Recognition

Jean Coulthard received several important awards for her contributions to music.

• In 1978, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is one of Canada's highest honors.
• In 1994, she received the Order of British Columbia.
• Her work was also part of the music event at the 1948 Summer Olympics art competition.

Main Musical Works

Jean Coulthard wrote many different types of music. Here are some of her principal works:

• 4 Studies for piano (1945)
• Sonata for piano (1947)
• Sonata for cello and piano (1947)
• String Quartet No. 1 (1948)
• Symphony No. 1 (1950)
• Variations on BACH (1951)
• Sonata in duet for violin and piano (1952)
• A Prayer for Elizabeth for Strings (1953)
• String Quartet No. 2 Threnody (1954, revised 1969)
• 12 Preludes (1954–1964)
• Violin Concerto (1959)
• Sonata Rhapsody, for viola and piano (1962)
• 6 Medieval Songs, for baritone and piano (1962)
• Piano Concerto (1963, revised 1967)
• Endymion, symphonic poem (1964)
• Choral symphony This land (Symphony No. 2) for choir and orchestra (1967)
• Lyric trio, for piano, violin and cello (1968)
• Divertimento, for horn, bassoon and piano (1968)
• Lyric sonatina, for bassoon and piano (1971)
• Octet (double string quartet) (1972)
• Lyric Symphony (No. 3) for bassoon and orchestra (1975)
• Burlesca, for piano and orchestra (1977)
• Symphonic Ode, for viola and orchestra (1977)
• Autumn Symphony (No. 4), for String orchestra (1984)
• Symphonic Image Vision of the North, for String orchestra (1989)