Martin Foster (1951-2019)
Peacefully and very much loved, Martin Foster died of cancer on August 26, 2019 in Stratford, Ontario. He will be greatly missed by his partner Susan Green, his daughter Jasmine, his brother Peter (Manon Therrien), his nieces and nephews (Gitanjali, Satya, Moksha and Surdas), Susan’s sister Julia Mustard (Alex Lowy, sons Andre and Benjamin), as well as countless friends, colleagues, and students.
Born in England, Martin graduated from the Montreal Conservatoire de musique in violin and received a post-graduate degree from the Julliard School in New York. In 1973 he played his debut at Carnegie Hall. In 1974 he co-founded the American String Quartet, which won the prestigious Coleman and Naumburg competitions in the same year.
In 1980 Martin returned to Canada as a member of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and gave many concerts as soloist with orchestra and recitalist. He has been concertmaster of the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, the Chamber Players of Toronto, and the McGill Chamber Orchestra.
Martin taught at the Julliard school (1976-80), Mannes College of Music, and the Montreal Conservatoire de musique (1981-1984). From 1982-2008, he was professor of violin in the Department of Music at the Université du Québec à Montréal, as well as music director and conductor of the UQAM Orchestra and the Atelier d’opéra.
Martin also composed music for television and film. He was the composer, conductor and violin soloist for the successful Quebec children’s film, “La mystérieuse mademoiselle C”.
In 2008 Martin and Susan moved to Stratford, where they enjoyed the beauty of the parks, the Avon River with its swans, and the Shakespeare plays at the Stratford Festival. Profound gratitude must be extended to family and friends for their support, and to the doctors and nurses in Stratford and at the London Regional Cancer Program for their compassion, professionalism and friendship.
Memorial donations may be made to London Health Sciences Center or the United Nations High Commission for Refugees through the W.G. Young Funeral Home, Stratford. 519-271-7411 www.wgyoungfuneralhome.com
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Martin Foster..
Décès pour la Ville:Stratford, Province: Ontario