Lara St. John
Encyclopedia
Lara St. John is a Canadian violinist known for her performances as soloist with orchestra and in recital.
St. John began playing the violin at the age of two and the following year she began her first lessons with the instructor Richard Lawrence. She gave her first public performance as soloist with an orchestra by age four.
In 1976, at five years old, she began making frequent trips with her mother and brother to Cleveland, Ohio, where the young St. John worked under the instruction of Linda Cerone. In 1979, she spent a year in Paris studying with Gérard Jarry.
At age 10, St. John made her European debut with the Gulbenkian Orchestra
in Lisbon, after which she spent three years touring the continent, including Spain, France, and Hungary.
in Philadelphia, where she later received her degree. She studied under Felix Galimir
and Arnold Steinhardt
. Shortly thereafter, in 1988, she moved to Russia and became the youngest post-graduate student at the Moscow Conservatory
. But with the Soviet Union
's decline, the Conservatory faced terminal budget
ary constraints, with the result that St. John’s instructors soon defected and the students then at the conservatory were dismissed.
With her studies disrupted, St. John took the opportunity to travel throughout the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. During that time she encountered the Roma people, a cultural experience that would later be reflected in her 1997 album, "Gypsy."
St. John eventually returned to her studies and attended three different academies: the Guildhall School
in London (under David Takeno), Mannes College of Music in New York (under Felix Galimir), and the New England Conservatory (NEC) in Boston (under Jamie Buswell).
By owning her own record company, St. John was free to make artistic choices that were no longer driven by commercial considerations. The move also allowed her to become an early adopter of distribution through the Internet.
St. John named the record company after her pet iguana
, Ancalagon.
, the Boston Pops
and in New York’s Central Park
.
St. John also performed with the Canadian touring group, "Bowfire," as a violinist in 2006-2007, touring the USA.
In Europe, her performances have been with the NDR Symphony (Hanover), Zurich Chamber Orchestra
, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
, Marseilles Opera Orchestra, the Amsterdam Symphony and with the Mendelssohn Kammerorchester at the Gewandhaus
, Leipzig
.
In Asia, she has made solo appearances with the Hong Kong Symphony, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
, China Philharmonic Orchestra
in Beijing, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra
and the Shanghai Broadcasting Orchestra. St. John has also performed with the Queensland Orchestra in Australia.
. This instrument, upon which St. John currently performs, is the most important surviving example of Guadagnini’s work.
Previously, in 1997, upon winning the Canada Council Stradivarius Prize, St. John was given the two-year use of a Lyall Stradivarius
built in 1702.
St. John has enjoyed significant popularity on iTunes
. Her "Bach: The Six Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo" was iTunes’ best-selling double album of 2007. Her previous recording, "Bach: The Concerto Album," rose to number one in the iTunes’ classical category in 2005, shortly after appearing in the “strongly recommended” section of Gramophone. Her latest release, as a member of the group "Polkastra", titled "Apolkalypse Now," was released on iTunes in July 2009.
St. John’s music was also used by the interactive web-based video series “Lonelygirl15
,” which at one point had more than 110 million combined views.
, CNN
’s Showbiz Today, Fox News
, the CBC
and the Bravo! special series, "Live At the Rehearsal Hall." Three short films have been produced by Bravo! featuring St. John, "High Wire Bach," "Czardas" and "High Flying Bach." She has also appeared in People Magazine
, and her work has been reviewed by publications including The New York Times
, the Los Angeles Times
and U.S. News & World Report
.
. Her native languages are English and French, and she speaks some Russian. St. John enjoys reading J. R. R. Tolkien
and spending time with reptiles.
, gold medalist Nastia Liukin
performed her floor routine to "Variations on Dark Eyes (Occhi Chornye)" by Ilan Rechtman, from St. John’s "Gypsy" album.
Childhood
Lara St. John spent her early childhood in the City of London, Ontario. As the daughter of two educators (her father was a language teacher and her mother a music instructor), she and her older brother Scott were encouraged at an early age to develop musical talents.St. John began playing the violin at the age of two and the following year she began her first lessons with the instructor Richard Lawrence. She gave her first public performance as soloist with an orchestra by age four.
In 1976, at five years old, she began making frequent trips with her mother and brother to Cleveland, Ohio, where the young St. John worked under the instruction of Linda Cerone. In 1979, she spent a year in Paris studying with Gérard Jarry.
At age 10, St. John made her European debut with the Gulbenkian Orchestra
Gulbenkian Orchestra
The Gulbenkian Orchestra is a Portuguese symphony orchestra based in Lisbon. The orchestra primarily gives concerts at the Grande Auditório of the Gulbenkian Foundation....
in Lisbon, after which she spent three years touring the continent, including Spain, France, and Hungary.
Musical instruction/influences
Accepted at the age of 13, St. John entered the Curtis Institute of MusicCurtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...
in Philadelphia, where she later received her degree. She studied under Felix Galimir
Felix Galimir
Felix Galimir was an Austrian-born American-Jewish violinist and music teacher.He studied with Adolf Bak and Simon Pullman at the Vienna Conservatory from the age of twelve and graduated in 1928. With his three sisters he founded the Galimir Quartet in 1927 to commemorate the 100-year anniversary...
and Arnold Steinhardt
Arnold Steinhardt
Arnold Steinhardt , is an American violinist, best known as the first violinist of the Guarneri String Quartet....
. Shortly thereafter, in 1988, she moved to Russia and became the youngest post-graduate student at the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
. But with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's decline, the Conservatory faced terminal budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
ary constraints, with the result that St. John’s instructors soon defected and the students then at the conservatory were dismissed.
With her studies disrupted, St. John took the opportunity to travel throughout the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. During that time she encountered the Roma people, a cultural experience that would later be reflected in her 1997 album, "Gypsy."
St. John eventually returned to her studies and attended three different academies: the Guildhall School
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
in London (under David Takeno), Mannes College of Music in New York (under Felix Galimir), and the New England Conservatory (NEC) in Boston (under Jamie Buswell).
Ancalagon records
In 2000, St. John founded the artist-owned record company, Ancalagon LLC. She decided to create the company as a result of her personal dissatisfaction with the marketing and production approach of larger recording companies.By owning her own record company, St. John was free to make artistic choices that were no longer driven by commercial considerations. The move also allowed her to become an early adopter of distribution through the Internet.
St. John named the record company after her pet iguana
Iguana
Iguana is a herbivorous genus of lizard native to tropical areas of Central America and the Caribbean. The genus was first described in 1768 by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his book Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena...
, Ancalagon.
Performances
In North America, St. John has performed as a soloist with orchestras that include Cleveland, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Seattle, Brooklyn, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, the National Arts CentreNational Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ottawa, Ontario, between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal...
, the Boston Pops
Boston Pops Orchestra
The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....
and in New York’s Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
.
St. John also performed with the Canadian touring group, "Bowfire," as a violinist in 2006-2007, touring the USA.
In Europe, her performances have been with the NDR Symphony (Hanover), Zurich Chamber Orchestra
Zurich Chamber Orchestra
The Zurich Chamber Orchestra is a Swiss chamber orchestra based in Zurich. The ZKO's principal concert venue in Zurich is the Tonhalle. The ZKO also performs in Zurich at the Rietberg Museum, the ZKO-Haus in the Seefeld quarter of the city, and such churches as the Fraumünster and the Kirche St....
, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is an English orchestra. Originally based in Bournemouth, the BSO moved its offices to the adjacent town of Poole in 1979....
, Marseilles Opera Orchestra, the Amsterdam Symphony and with the Mendelssohn Kammerorchester at the Gewandhaus
Gewandhaus
Gewandhaus is a concert hall in Leipzig, Germany. Today's hall is the third to bear this name; like the second, it is noted for its fine acoustics. The first Gewandhaus was built in 1781 by architect Johann Carl Friedrich Dauthe. The second opened on 11 December 1884, and was destroyed in the...
, Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
.
In Asia, she has made solo appearances with the Hong Kong Symphony, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
The , or TSO, was established in 1946 as the Toho Symphony Orchestra . It assumed its present name in 1951.Based in Kawasaki, the TSO performs in numerous concert halls and serves as the pit ensemble for some productions at New National Theatre, Tokyo, the city's leading opera house...
, China Philharmonic Orchestra
China Philharmonic Orchestra
The China Philharmonic Orchestra is an orchestra founded in Beijing, China on May 25, 2000, based on the previous "China Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra"...
in Beijing, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra
Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra
The Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra is based in Guangzhou, Guangdong. It was founded in 1957.The orchestra's current artistic director is Long Yu...
and the Shanghai Broadcasting Orchestra. St. John has also performed with the Queensland Orchestra in Australia.
St. John's violin
In 1999, an anonymous donor made a permanent loan to St. John of the 1779 “Salabue” GuadagniniGiovanni Battista Guadagnini
Giovanni Battista Guadagnini ; was an emiliano luthier, regarded as one of the finest craftsmen of string instruments in history.-Biography:...
. This instrument, upon which St. John currently performs, is the most important surviving example of Guadagnini’s work.
Previously, in 1997, upon winning the Canada Council Stradivarius Prize, St. John was given the two-year use of a Lyall Stradivarius
Stradivarius
The name Stradivarius is associated with violins built by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or reproduce, though this belief is controversial...
built in 1702.
Internet presence
As an early adopter of the Internet, St. John’s musical career has been propelled by her presence online, including her website.St. John has enjoyed significant popularity 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....
. Her "Bach: The Six Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo" was iTunes’ best-selling double album of 2007. Her previous recording, "Bach: The Concerto Album," rose to number one in the iTunes’ classical category in 2005, shortly after appearing in the “strongly recommended” section of Gramophone. Her latest release, as a member of the group "Polkastra", titled "Apolkalypse Now," was released on iTunes in July 2009.
St. John’s music was also used by the interactive web-based video series “Lonelygirl15
Lonelygirl15
lonelygirl15 was an interactive web-based video series which began in June 2006 and ran through to August 1, 2008. Developed under the working title The Children of Anchor Cove, the show gained worldwide media attention when it was outed as fictional in September 2006.-Overview:lonelygirl15...
,” which at one point had more than 110 million combined views.
Features and reviews
St. John’s work has been featured on NPR’s All Things ConsideredAll Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
’s Showbiz Today, Fox News
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
, the CBC
Canadian 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...
and the Bravo! special series, "Live At the Rehearsal Hall." Three short films have been produced by Bravo! featuring St. John, "High Wire Bach," "Czardas" and "High Flying Bach." She has also appeared in People Magazine
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
, and her work has been reviewed by publications including 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...
, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
and U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
.
Controversy
St. John received attention for her somewhat controversial photo on the cover of her debut album, "Bach Works for Violin Solo" (1996). The cover features St. John holding a violin across her chest while appearing otherwise unclothed. The rationale for this cover was that unaccompanied Bach exposed the artist completely, and the cover art was designed to evoke this sentiment. The album sold 25,000 copies, a very high number by the standards of the classical music industry.Personal
While not on tour, St. John resides in New York City, where she is reportedly a fan of the American Museum of Natural HistoryAmerican Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
. Her native languages are English and French, and she speaks some Russian. St. John enjoys reading J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
and spending time with reptiles.
Additional
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, gold medalist Nastia Liukin
Nastia Liukin
Anastasia Valeryevna "Nastia" Liukin is a Russian-American artistic gymnast. She was the 2008 Olympic individual all-around Champion, the 2005 and 2007 World Champion on the balance beam, and the 2005 World Champion on the uneven bars...
performed her floor routine to "Variations on Dark Eyes (Occhi Chornye)" by Ilan Rechtman, from St. John’s "Gypsy" album.
Discography
- 1996 — Bach Works for Violin Solo, released by Well Tempered Productions
- 1997 — Gypsy, released by Well Tempered Productions
- 2002 — Bach: The Concerto Album, released by Ancalagon Records
- 2003 — Re: Bach, released by Sony Classical
- 2007 — Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo, released by Ancalagon Records
- 2008 — Hindson: Violin Concerto; Corigliano: Suite from The Red Violin; Liszt/Martin KennedyMartin KennedyMartin Kennedy is a composer of contemporary classical music.- Biography :Martin Kennedy holds a Doctorate in Music Composition from the Juilliard School where he studied as a C.V. Starr fellow with Milton Babbitt and Samuel Adler...
/St. John: Totentanz released by Ancalagon Records - 2009 — Vivaldi: The Four Seasons / Piazzolla: The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires released by Ancalagon Records
External links
- Bach Works for Violin Solo at jsbach.net