John Arpin
Encyclopedia
John Francis Oscar Arpin (3 December 1936 – 8 November 2007) was a Canadian
composer
, recording artist and entertainer, best known for his work as a virtuoso ragtime
pianist
.
Born in Port McNicoll, Ontario
, Arpin was educated at the Royal Conservatory of Music
(Toronto
), graduating at the age of sixteen, and the University of Toronto
.
Arpin performed and toured widely. He died in Toronto, Ontario.
, but also played Broadway music, pop music
, and classical music.
In 2002 he recorded seven CDs of piano solo music on the April Avenue record label. These albums consisted of favorite Broadway themes and familiar pop tunes. While just two compilations are still available in CD format, most of the other tracks can still be found on iTunes
. Here is a complete list:
A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square, All The Way, An Affair To Remember, Any Dream Will Do, As Time Goes By, Bewitched, Blue Moon, Brian's Song, Cabaret, Call Me Irresponsible, Cheek To Cheek, Climb Every Mountain, Dear Heart, Don't Cry For Me Argentina, Edelweiss, Fly Me To The Moon, Georgia On My Mind, Getting To Know You, Have You Met Miss Jones?, Hello Young Lovers, Here, I Didn't Know What Time It Was, I Left My Heart In San Francisco, I Only Have Eyes For You, I Will Wait For You, If I Loved You, Isn't It Romantic?, It Had To Be You, It Might As Well Be Spring, It's Impossible, I've Got You Under My Skin, Jean, Killing Me Softly, La Mer, Little Girl Blue, Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing, Mame, Manhattan, Memory, Misty, Moon River, More, Mountain Greenery, My Funny Valentine, My Romance, My Way, Nadia's Theme, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, On The Street Where You Live, Once Upon A Time, Over The Rainbow, People, People Will Say We're In Love, Put On A Happy Face, Que Sera, Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, Sera, Smile, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Some Enchanted Evening, Spanish Eyes, Spring Is Here, Star Dust, Stranger On The Shore, Tammy, The Blue Room, The Days Of Wine And Roses, The Entertainer, The Look Of Love, The Music Of The Night, The Shadow Of Your Smile, The Sound Of Music, The Surrey With The Fringe On Top, The Way We Were, Theme From "Nicholas And Alexandra", There And Everywhere, There's A Small Hotel, Till There Was You, Tomorrow, Unchained Melody, Unforgettable, We Kiss In A Shadow, What I Did For Love, What Kind Of Fool Am I?, When I Fall In Love, Where Or When, Who Can I Turn To?, With A Song In My Heart, Yesterday, You Took Advantage Of Me
, he performed with Maureen Forrester
and Peter Appleyard
.
s, given to show excellence in Canadian music. In June 1998, he won the Scott Joplin
Award from the Scott Joplin Foundation of Sedalia, Missouri.
pronounced John Arpin "the Chopin
of Ragtime", while The New York Times
labeled him "the Richter
of Ragtime".
High Fidelity magazine said of one of his albums: "This is the best recorded collection of piano rags that I know of and is, I suspect, the most authentically performed."
radio program Morningside
). He also composed the theme for TVOntario
's children's shows, Polka Dot Door and Polka Dot Shorts and wrote the music for the shows. Arpin also composed the themes for several CTV network shows in the 1960s. His "Lyric Suite for Piano, Strings and Percussion" won first prize out of 450 entrants in the Yamaha
Second International Original Concert in Tokyo
. He also arranged music for several Canadian recording acts.
In 2005, he was commissioned by St. Michael's Choir School
(Toronto) to compose and arrange a "medley" of Christmas tunes which he titled "Yuletide on the Cool Side". It was very warmly received in its premiere on a concert tour across Canada.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
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...
, recording artist and entertainer, best known for his work as a virtuoso ragtime
Ragtime
Ragtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
.
Born in Port McNicoll, Ontario
Port McNicoll, Ontario
Port McNicoll is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in the Simcoe County township of Tay.-Busy terminal:The community of Port McNicoll was established in 1908 as a Great Lakes port on the southern shores of Georgian Bay...
, Arpin was educated at the Royal Conservatory of Music
Royal Conservatory of Music
The Royal Conservatory of Music is a music school and performance venue in Toronto, Canada. Other uses of the term include:*The Madrid Royal Conservatory, Spain*The Royal Academy of Music, London, United Kingdom...
(Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
), graduating at the age of sixteen, and the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
.
Arpin performed and toured widely. He died in Toronto, Ontario.
Recording career
Arpin recorded more than sixty albums, mostly of ragtimeRagtime
Ragtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
, but also played Broadway music, pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, and classical music.
In 2002 he recorded seven CDs of piano solo music on the April Avenue record label. These albums consisted of favorite Broadway themes and familiar pop tunes. While just two compilations are still available in CD format, most of the other tracks can still be found on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. Here is a complete list:
A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square, All The Way, An Affair To Remember, Any Dream Will Do, As Time Goes By, Bewitched, Blue Moon, Brian's Song, Cabaret, Call Me Irresponsible, Cheek To Cheek, Climb Every Mountain, Dear Heart, Don't Cry For Me Argentina, Edelweiss, Fly Me To The Moon, Georgia On My Mind, Getting To Know You, Have You Met Miss Jones?, Hello Young Lovers, Here, I Didn't Know What Time It Was, I Left My Heart In San Francisco, I Only Have Eyes For You, I Will Wait For You, If I Loved You, Isn't It Romantic?, It Had To Be You, It Might As Well Be Spring, It's Impossible, I've Got You Under My Skin, Jean, Killing Me Softly, La Mer, Little Girl Blue, Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing, Mame, Manhattan, Memory, Misty, Moon River, More, Mountain Greenery, My Funny Valentine, My Romance, My Way, Nadia's Theme, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, On The Street Where You Live, Once Upon A Time, Over The Rainbow, People, People Will Say We're In Love, Put On A Happy Face, Que Sera, Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, Sera, Smile, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Some Enchanted Evening, Spanish Eyes, Spring Is Here, Star Dust, Stranger On The Shore, Tammy, The Blue Room, The Days Of Wine And Roses, The Entertainer, The Look Of Love, The Music Of The Night, The Shadow Of Your Smile, The Sound Of Music, The Surrey With The Fringe On Top, The Way We Were, Theme From "Nicholas And Alexandra", There And Everywhere, There's A Small Hotel, Till There Was You, Tomorrow, Unchained Melody, Unforgettable, We Kiss In A Shadow, What I Did For Love, What Kind Of Fool Am I?, When I Fall In Love, Where Or When, Who Can I Turn To?, With A Song In My Heart, Yesterday, You Took Advantage Of Me
Performances
Arpin performed as a solo entertainer and with orchestras throughout the world. In CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, he performed with Maureen Forrester
Maureen Forrester
Maureen Kathleen Stewart Forrester, was a Canadian operatic contralto.-Life and career:Maureen Forrester was born and grew up in a poor section of Montreal, Quebec. She was one of four children to Thomas Forrester, a Scottish cabinetmaker, and his Irish-born wife, the former May Arnold. She...
and Peter Appleyard
Peter Appleyard
Peter Appleyard, is a Canadian jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and composer of English birth. He has spent most of his life living and performing in the city of Toronto where for many years he was a highly popular performer in the city's nightclubs and hotels...
.
Awards
Arpin was nominated three times for Juno AwardJuno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
s, given to show excellence in Canadian music. In June 1998, he won the Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin was an American composer and pianist. Joplin achieved fame for his ragtime compositions, and was later dubbed "The King of Ragtime". During his brief career, Joplin wrote 44 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas...
Award from the Scott Joplin Foundation of Sedalia, Missouri.
Critical acclaim
Ragtime great Eubie BlakeEubie Blake
James Hubert Blake was an American composer, lyricist, and pianist of ragtime, jazz, and popular music. In 1921, Blake and long-time collaborator Noble Sissle wrote the Broadway musical Shuffle Along, one of the first Broadway musicals to be written and directed by African Americans...
pronounced John Arpin "the Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
of Ragtime", while The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
labeled him "the Richter
Sviatoslav Richter
Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter was a Soviet pianist well known for the depth of his interpretations, virtuoso technique, and vast repertoire. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.-Childhood:...
of Ragtime".
High Fidelity magazine said of one of his albums: "This is the best recorded collection of piano rags that I know of and is, I suspect, the most authentically performed."
Compositions
Notable among his own compositions are "Jogging Along" (a theme song for the acclaimed CBCCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
radio program Morningside
Morningside (radio program)
Morningside was a nationally broadcast Canadian radio program, which aired on CBC Radio from September 20, 1976 to May 30, 1997. It was broadcast from 9AM to 12 Noon, Monday to Friday...
). He also composed the theme for TVOntario
TVOntario
TVOntario, often referred to only as TVO , is a publicly funded, educational English-language television station and media organization in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority, a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario...
's children's shows, Polka Dot Door and Polka Dot Shorts and wrote the music for the shows. Arpin also composed the themes for several CTV network shows in the 1960s. His "Lyric Suite for Piano, Strings and Percussion" won first prize out of 450 entrants in the Yamaha
Yamaha (manufacturer)
is a multinational corporation and conglomerate based in Japan with a wide range of products and services, predominantly musical instruments, electronics, motorcycles and power sports equipment.-History:...
Second International Original Concert in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. He also arranged music for several Canadian recording acts.
In 2005, he was commissioned by St. Michael's Choir School
St. Michael's Choir School
St. Michael’s Choir School is a boys' semi-private school located in downtown Toronto's Garden District, embodying a unique learning environment for its students. The school serves as a union between two distinct institutions: the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome and the Toronto...
(Toronto) to compose and arrange a "medley" of Christmas tunes which he titled "Yuletide on the Cool Side". It was very warmly received in its premiere on a concert tour across Canada.