Canadian composer John Beckwith died unexpectedly on December 5 at Toronto Western Hospital from pneumonia at the age of 95. He was born on March 9, 1927, in Victoria, BC to the lawyer Harold Arthur Beckwith (1889–1958) and the teacher Margaret Alice Dunn (1898–1990). Showing an early gift for music (piano, singing, and composition), he began piano lessons at age six. He moved to Toronto in 1945 to study with Alberto Guerrero, an exceptional teacher and mentor; Beckwith later wrote a biography of him (2006, Spanish translation 2021). Beckwith completed the BMus degree at the University of Toronto in 1947 and the MMus in composition under John Weinzweig in 1961. After composition studies with Nadia Boulanger in Paris, he returned to Toronto and taught on contract at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music beginning in 1952. Three years later he became a full-time faculty member and taught there until his early retirement in 1990. He served as the Dean of the Faculty (1970–77) and the inaugural Director of the Institute for Canadian Music (1985–91). Concurrently with his work at the university, Beckwith was active as a music critic, CBC broadcaster, editor, and public intellectual. A hard-working and productive scholar-composer, he wrote over 160 compositions, a similar number of articles, and seventeen books, the last of which, Music Annals, was published this year. His richly detailed and beautifully written memoir, Unheard of, was published in 2012. His compositions, many of which were inspired by his research into and love of Canadian literature, history, and music, are featured on about seventy recordings. He leaves behind a rich legacy as a composer, writer, and educator. Pre-deceased by his ex-wife Pamela Terry, his son Symon Francis, and his sister Sheila, Beckwith is survived by his companion for the past 45 years, Kathleen McMorrow, his sister Jean, daughter Robin, sons Jonathan and Larry, daughter-in-law Teri Dunn, granddaughters Fawn, Alison and Juliet, great-grandchildren Tristan and Elliott, and many nieces and nephews. There will be a public memorial concert in the spring. Donations in his memory may be made to the Canadian Music Centre, or an organization performing Canadian music.
2022
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de John Beckwith 2022..
Morley Bedford Funeral Services Ltd
Décès pour la Ville:Toronto, Province: Ontario