OBITUARIES

JORJA FLEEZANIS

US violinist Jorja Fleezanis died on 10 September at the age of 70. From 1989 to 2009 she was concertmaster of the Minnesota Orchestra – the longesttenured concertmaster in its history and only the second woman in the US to be named concertmaster in a major orchestra when appointed. She was also the Henry A. Upper chair at Indiana University.

Born in 1952, Fleezanis studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Prior to Minnesota, she was associate concertmaster with the San Francisco Symphony for eight years, and a member of the Chicago Symphony. She was on the faculty of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University as professor of orchestral studies from 2009 to 2021, and recently became a visiting faculty member for creative orchestral studies at the Interlochen Arts Academy.

A devoted teacher, Fleezanis became an adjunct faculty member at the University of Minnesota’s School of Music in 1990 until 2009. She was a teacher and artist at the Round Top International Festival Institute in Texas (1990-2007); artist-inresidence at the University of California, Davis; guest artist and teacher at the San Francisco Conservatory, where she served on the faculty from 1981 to 1989; artist and mentor at the Music@Menlo Festival (2003–10); teacher and coach at the New World Symphony, and was on the faculty of the Music Academy of the West.

Fleezanis had a number of works commissioned for her: the John Adams Violin Concerto and the Ikon of Eros by John Tavener, both commissioned and premiered with the Minnesota Orchestra, the latter recorded on Reference Records. Her recording of the complete violin sonatas of Beethoven with the French fortepianist Cyril Huvé was released in 2003 on the Cyprés label. Other recordings include Aaron Jay Kernis’ Brilliant Sky, Infinite Sky on CRI, commissioned for Fleezanis by the Schubert Club, and Stefan Wolpe’s Violin Sonata recorded with Garrick Ohlsson for Koch International.

FRED ZLOTKIN

The death of American cellist, teacher and recording artist Fred Zlotkin was announced on 2 September 2022. For half a century he was principal of New York City Ballet orchestra and a regular performer with the New York Philharmonic.

Born in 1947, Zlotkin was a graduate of the Juilliard School and studied with Gregor Piatigorsky, Leonard Rose and Channing Robbins. He performed numerous works with choreography at the NYC Ballet, in addition to many other solo and chamber music works.

Zlotkin served as president of the Violoncello Society (VCS) of New York from 2017 to 2019. A member on the faculties of Manhattan School of Music, Queens College, Hoff-Barthelson Music School and the Brooklyn College of Music, he also served as adjunct professor at SUNY-Purchase and as music director of the Montauk Chamber Music Society.

JULIET BARKER

British luthier Sara Juliet Barker died on 14 August 2022 at the age of 88.

Born in Cambridge on 10 June 1934, Barker learnt the violin from a young age. Following a thyroid illness, she was informed that female lutherie students had been seen at the Oberfachschule in violin making at Mittenwald. It was also thought the mountain air would do her good. She was unable to complete the full course as her father fell ill when she was two years in, so she returned home to Cambridge in 1956, only returning to Mittenwald to take her final exam – aperiod lasting a few weeks as each student had to make a violin from start to finish. Her journeyman certificate from Mittenwald stated she was the ‘son of her father’ as women in violin making in that era were incredibly rare.

In 1960 she was invited to start teaching a violin making class. It began in September 1960 at Cambridge College of Arts and Technology (CCAT), ultimately Anglia Ruskin University.

While teaching these early classes, Juliet became involved in the music department and played viola in its orchestra.

The first summer course took place in 1978. It was very well attended, so much so that not everyone who applied could attend that first year. In its early days, Juliet had qualified helpers alongside her in the workshop including highly respected names such as Wilf Saunders, Malcolm Siddall and Jonathan Woolston.

The Cambridge Violin Makers workshop introduced more classes, taught by specialists in their fields, including furniture restoration, wood carving, wooden toy making and painting in watercolour. It was by now an arts and crafts centre. Juliet was also one of the original trustees of the Rowan Armour-Brown Trust, a charity to help young violin makers entering the trade.

CHRISTOPHER BEAMENT

DAPHNE GODSON

Scottish violinist Daphne Godson died on 15 August 2022 aged 90. Over her long playing career she was associated with ensembles such as the Scottish Baroque Ensemble, Bernicia Ensemble, Pegasus Trio, Merlyn Trio and the Scottish Early Music Consort.

Born in Edinburgh in 1932, Edith Muriel Daphne Godson attended the Royal Academy of Music in London and, after being awarded a Belgian State Scholarship in 1954, at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. In 1957 she won first prize in the international violin competition held during the Darmstadt Festival of Contemporary Music.

She was principal of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (1974–76) and leader of the Edinburgh Bach Players, and appeared as a soloist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish National Orchestra and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. From 1964 she taught at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and at the Broughton High School Special Music Unit.

She was also an accomplished rebec player and among her avocations were hillwalking, reading and dressmaking.

GARRY HUMPHREYS