Jean Barr, professor of piano accompanying and chamber music at the Eastman School of Music and the first keyboard artist in the United States to receive a doctoral degree in accompanying, has been named the recipient of the Susan B. Anthony Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award was established in 1997 by the Anthony Center for Women’s Leadership at the University. It is presented annually to a University of Rochester alumna, trustee, faculty member, or administrator who has demonstrated strong leadership qualities, personal as well as professional success, and has served as a role model for other women.
In nominating Barr for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Elizabeth Marvin, dean of academic affairs at Eastman, and Marie Rolf, associate dean for graduate studies at Eastman, noted: “Jean Barr is more than a teacher and program advisor to her students. She is a mentor, confidante, and role model extraordinaire . . . Jean Barr is a person whose spirit, vision, and achievements have made a significant difference in the lives of others. She upholds the highest level of artistry and the finest professional skills as a collaborative artist.”
Considered by many to be a pioneer in her field, Barr has taught and lectured throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. She has performed with many distinguished artists, including cellists Pierre Fournier and Mstislav Rostropovich, as well as with such ensembles as the Ying Quartet and the Cleveland Quartet. At the outset of her career, she was accompanist for the master classes of violinist Jascha Heifetz, cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, violist William Primrose, and singer Martial Singher.
Prior to joining the Eastman faculty in 1988, Barr taught at the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at Austin, and Arizona State University. At Eastman, she is the founding director of graduate programs in piano accompanying and chamber music and co-chairs the chamber music department. She is presently on the faculty of International Workshops, which offers summer seminars for music teachers, performers, and artists from around the world.
In the past decade, Barr has organized significant chamber music concerts for the National Conference on Piano Pedagogy and for national conventions of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA). She also was instrumental in the creation of the MTNA’s Collaborative Advisory Committee and was its first chair.
Barr received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 1972 from the University of Southern California, where she studied with celebrated accompanist Gwendolyn Koldofsky. She will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award on Thursday, Feb. 5, at the annual Susan B. Anthony Legacy Dinner sponsored by the Anthony Center.
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Note to Editors: Barr lives in Pittsford.