The contemporary music advocate was president of the Pro Violino Foundation

Packer1

American violinist Janet Packer has died at the age of 64. The contemporary music advocate had in recent years premiered works by composers including Gardner Read and Krzysztof Meyer. She was also president of Pro Violino Foundation, an organisation founded to support the creation of new violin music.

An experienced educator, Packer served as chair of the violin department at Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts for 12 years and was on the faculty of the Rivers School Conservatory. She also gave frequent masterclasses at schools and universities.

She features on the premiere recording of violin and piano works by Charles-Marie Widor on the Centaur label, in Vittorio Rieti’s Serenata for Violin and Small Orchestra on CRI, and in William Thomas McKinley’s Violin Concerto no.1 with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra on MMC.

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