Mrs. C was born 18 September 1923 in Pratt, Kansas, and was named Clara Marjory Lunt. She began her cello studies at the age of 11. Her cello teachers were Cornelius van Vliet, Thor Johnson, and Gabor Rejto. She received her Bachelor's degree from Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas; her Master's degree from North Texas State University, Denton; post-graduate studies at Roosevelt College, Chicago.
She succeeded Gabor Magyar as cello professor at Oklahoma University in 1963. She was a member of the Oklahoma Trio (with Russian violinist Daniel Gilevitch alias Daniel Guilet) and toured internationally with Quartet Oklahoma. She gave cello masterclasses at music festivals in Switzerland and Austria. She was a faculty member of the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain. She was a professional cellist with numerous orchestras.
In the mid 1960s, upon the recommendation of USC Professor of Composition Halsey Stevens, she began summer studies with Gabor Rejto in Santa Barbara, California. She considered Rejto her principal music teacher.
In 1989, Mrs. C was the first recipient of the Oklahoma -- American String Teachers Association Teacher of the Year Award.
Mrs. C died 3 August 1994 at a hospital in Stevenage, Bedfordshire, England, just days before she was to embark on another summer of masterclasses and chamber music concerts in Europe. |
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