Barbara Pentland
- Vancouver
Composer
Barbara Pentland has given Canadian culture a musical legacy of
extraordinary depth and artistic wisdom.
Born in Winnipeg
in 1912, she began to write music at the age of nine, in spite of
opposition from her parents. She studied music in Paris, and at
the Julliard Graduate School in New York.
Barbara Pentland
moved to Toronto in 1942 and in the following year became an instructor
at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Moving to British Columbia in
1949, she joined the music department at U.B.C., where she taught
theory and composition until 1963, thus helping and encouraging
many young musicians.
Her music is
characterized by a distinctive blend of lyricism, sensitivity and
economy of expression. It includes chamber works, ballet, opera
and symphonies. Her recent and mature works express a rich and abiding
fount of creative renewal. For these gifts of music, Barbara Pentland
has received the Order of Canada.
With wit and
good humour, high standards and unassailable principles, she remains
an active and inspirational presence in Canada's music community.
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