Frantz Jehin-Prume
Encyclopedia
Frantz Jehin-Prume was a Canadian violin
ist, composer
, and music educator of Belgian birth. He began his career as a highly successful concert violinist in Europe. From 1865 on he lived and worked mainly in Montreal, Canada; becoming one of the most important 19th century musical figures in Quebec
. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1868.
, he was from a family of musicians. Both of his grandfathers were organists and his uncle was the violinist François Prume
; the latter of whom he studied under as a boy at the Liège Conservatory. He was a pupil of Hubert Léona and François-Joseph Fétis
at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels
. From 1852-1863 he had a highly successful career as a concert violinist throughout Europe and Russia; performing in the courts of several monarchs and with the great orchestras of the day.
. After performing for four months there in numerous concerts, he briefly toured to Brazil and Cuba. In May 1865 he came to New York City where he appeared in recital. The following year he returned to New York to appear in concerts with the New York Philharmonic
.
In June 1865 Jehin-Prume came to Canada for the first time to visit his friend, violinst Jules Hone, for a fishing and hunting vacation. During that time he performed at a benefit concert for the Jesuits in Montreal with Romain-Octave Pelletier I
as his accompianist. Reception was so positive to his performance, that he soon found himself engaged for numerous concerts in Montreal's major performance venues over the succeeding months. What initially was supposed to be a short visit to Canada, turned into a permanent home; a fact solidified by his marriage to Montreal mezzo-soprano Rosita del Vecchio in July 1866. Their son, Jules Jehin-Prume, was a successful doctor and playwright
.
From 1865-1867, Jehin-Prume and his wife toured throughout Canada and the United States.
They notably were invited by President Andrew Johnson
to perform at the White House
in January 1867. In 1868 they toured to Cuba and Belgium and in 1869-1870 they toured to 59 cities in North America with singer Carlotta Patti
and pianist Theodore Ritter. He spent little time outside of Canada after the conclusion of this tour.
s and trios. He was a close friend and collaborator of Calixa Lavallée
under whom he served as concertmaster
in a 58-piece orchestra during the late 1870s. He was the first concertmaster of the Montreal Philharmonic Society and served as the president of the Académie de musique du Québec in 1877-1878. In 1892 he founded the first professional chamber music society in Quebec, the Association artistique de Montréal, which mounted a total of 31 concerts before it disbanded in May 1896. He gave his last public concert on 16 May 1896 with pianist Victoria Cartier. He was also active as a teacher and counts several notable musicians among his pupils, including François Boucher
, Alfred De Sève
, Béatrice La Palme
, and Émile Taranto.
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and music educator of Belgian birth. He began his career as a highly successful concert violinist in Europe. From 1865 on he lived and worked mainly in Montreal, Canada; becoming one of the most important 19th century musical figures in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1868.
Early life and career in Europe
Born François-Henri Jehin in SpaSpa, Belgium
Spa is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liège. It is situated in a valley in the Ardennes mountain chain, some southeast of Liège, and southwest of Aachen. As of 1 January 2006, Spa had a total population of 10,543...
, he was from a family of musicians. Both of his grandfathers were organists and his uncle was the violinist François Prume
François Prume
François Hubert Prume was a Belgian violinist and composer.Prume was Professor of Violin at the Conservatories of Liège at the age of seventeen years old, where his pupils included Hubert Léonard, and his own nephew, Frantz Jehin-Prume...
; the latter of whom he studied under as a boy at the Liège Conservatory. He was a pupil of Hubert Léona and François-Joseph Fétis
François-Joseph Fétis
François-Joseph Fétis was a Belgian musicologist, composer, critic and teacher. He was one of the most influential music critics of the 19th century, and his enormous compilation of biographical data in the Biographie universelle des musiciens remains an important source of information today...
at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels
Royal Conservatory of Brussels
The Royal Conservatory of Brussels is a drama and music college in Brussels, Belgium. An academy for acting and the arts, it has been attended by many of the top actors and actresses in Belgium such as Josse De Pauw, Luk van Mello and Luk De Konink....
. From 1852-1863 he had a highly successful career as a concert violinist throughout Europe and Russia; performing in the courts of several monarchs and with the great orchestras of the day.
Early career in North America
In 1864 Jehin-Prume came to Mexico at the invitation of Emperor Maximilian IMaximilian I of Mexico
Maximilian I was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire.After a distinguished career in the Austrian Navy, he was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico on April 10, 1864, with the backing of Napoleon III of France and a group of Mexican monarchists who sought to revive the Mexican monarchy...
. After performing for four months there in numerous concerts, he briefly toured to Brazil and Cuba. In May 1865 he came to New York City where he appeared in recital. The following year he returned to New York to appear in concerts with the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
.
In June 1865 Jehin-Prume came to Canada for the first time to visit his friend, violinst Jules Hone, for a fishing and hunting vacation. During that time he performed at a benefit concert for the Jesuits in Montreal with Romain-Octave Pelletier I
Romain-Octave Pelletier I
Romain-Octave Pelletier I was a Canadian organist, pianist, composer, writer on music, and music educator.-Early life and career:...
as his accompianist. Reception was so positive to his performance, that he soon found himself engaged for numerous concerts in Montreal's major performance venues over the succeeding months. What initially was supposed to be a short visit to Canada, turned into a permanent home; a fact solidified by his marriage to Montreal mezzo-soprano Rosita del Vecchio in July 1866. Their son, Jules Jehin-Prume, was a successful doctor and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
.
From 1865-1867, Jehin-Prume and his wife toured throughout Canada and the United States.
They notably were invited by President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
to perform at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
in January 1867. In 1868 they toured to Cuba and Belgium and in 1869-1870 they toured to 59 cities in North America with singer Carlotta Patti
Carlotta Patti
Carlotta Patti was a nineteenth century operatic soprano and sister to famed soprano Adelina Patti. Various sources list her birth year as 1835, 1840, and 1842. Born into a musical family, Patti studied the piano in her youth before following her younger sister's inclination toward singing...
and pianist Theodore Ritter. He spent little time outside of Canada after the conclusion of this tour.
Later life and career in Montreal
Jehin-Prume played a major role in the development of the Montreal music scene from the 1870s through the 1890s. He was active as a chamber musician in concerts of string quartetString quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
s and trios. He was a close friend and collaborator of Calixa Lavallée
Calixa Lavallée
Calixa Lavallée, , born Calixte Lavallée, was a French-Canadian-American musician and Union officer during the American Civil War who composed the music for O Canada, which officially became the national anthem of Canada in 1980.-Biography:Calixa Lavallée was born at Verchères, a suburb of...
under whom he served as concertmaster
Concertmaster
The concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
in a 58-piece orchestra during the late 1870s. He was the first concertmaster of the Montreal Philharmonic Society and served as the president of the Académie de musique du Québec in 1877-1878. In 1892 he founded the first professional chamber music society in Quebec, the Association artistique de Montréal, which mounted a total of 31 concerts before it disbanded in May 1896. He gave his last public concert on 16 May 1896 with pianist Victoria Cartier. He was also active as a teacher and counts several notable musicians among his pupils, including François Boucher
François Boucher (violinist)
François Boucher was a Canadian violinist and music educator. Born in Montreal, Boucher was the son of Canadian publisher and musician Adélard Joseph Boucher and the brother of conductor Joseph-Arthur Boucher. His initial violin studies were with Jules Hone and Frantz Jehin-Prume. In 1876 he went...
, Alfred De Sève
Alfred De Sève
Alfred De Sève was a Canadian violinist, composer, and music educator. His compositional output includes works for violin and piano, solo piano, and orchestra; many of which were published by Arthur P. Schmidt and Charles H...
, Béatrice La Palme
Béatrice La Palme
Béatrice La Palme , was a soprano opera singer, violinist, and music teacher.-Biography:She was born on July 27, 1878 in Belœil, Quebec and she studied violin with Frantz Jehin-Prume. She performed in public in 1894 then left for London in 1895...
, and Émile Taranto.