Violet Archer, 1913-2000

Distinguished Canadian composer Violet Archer died on 21 February 2000. Dr Archer, a prolific and distinguished composer, wrote more than 250 works, which include music for films and for electronic media. The Encyclopaedia of Music in Canada states that 'Archer is a methodical composer, working efficiently and comfortably in the Western tradition, absorbing serial procedures, parallelism, and folk influence into her music.'

Violet Archer was born in Montréal on 24 April 1913 and McGill University awarded a BMus in composition in 1936. Her teachers included Bartók and Hindemith, and she later received both BMus and MMus from Yale. Awards include the Order of Canada in 1983, and the naming of a park and a library in her honour.

Her funeral will be held on 26 February, 1.30pm at Rideau Park United Church, 2203 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa, Ontario. Donations to Music and Sound Banff Centre for the Arts, Box 1020, Banff, Alberta, T0L 0C0, Canada.

Posted: 24 February 2000