Jeanne Lamon

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Jeanne Lamon, violinist and conductor, born in New York, USA, was raised in New York State, and began studying the violin at the age of seven. 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 Herman Krebbers, then the concertmaster of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam.

She returned to North America in the mid-1970s 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 1970s, while teaching in the Early Music Department of Smith College in Massachusetts, Jeanne made two guest appearances in Canada with the Baroque orchestra Tafelmusik Orchestra, which resulted in an invitation in 1981 offering her the position of Music Director. Jeanne Lamon has resided in Toronto since 1981 and became a Canadian citizen in 1988.

Under Jeanne Lamon's leadership, Tafelmusik Orchestra has 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 Vivaldi's Four Seasons, the Juno Award-winning Bach Brandenburg Concertos and the Bach Violin Concertos, among others.

Lamon teaches at University of Toronto and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. She received an honorary Doctor of Letters from York University in 1994. In 1996, Jeanne Lamon 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 Jeanne Lamon 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.

Most recently, Jeanne Lamon was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada on Thursday, July 13, 2000 in Ottawa. This award honours Jeanne Lamon for her distinguished work as a baroque violinist, concertmaster, chamber musician, teacher, and Music Director of Tafelmusik.