REDLANDS - Lorene Forsyth, a pianist from Redlands whose musical career took her to many parts of the world to work with some of the world's top singers, choreographers and contemporary composers, died of cancer Feb. 27 at her home in Redlands. She was 79.
Her career as a soloist, accompanist, coach, teacher, chamber artist, harpsichordist and music director included concert music, opera and musical theater.
In the 1990s she returned to Redlands where she has been a sought-after and much-loved accompanist and coach, including at the University of Redlands School of Music.
"Lorene was a top accompanist in Redlands, bringing a tremendous background of experience working with many national stars in the music world," said Nelda Stuck, former community and arts editor of the Daily Facts and one of Forsyth's friends.
"She received her early music training in Redlands, went out into the world to provide music and then returned to bring back her experiences and make Redlands a better place musically," Stuck said.
Lorene Forsyth was born Aug. 20, 1928, in Loma Linda and grew up in Redlands. Her parents were Lorill Forsyth, an early orange grower in Redlands who came here from Kansas, and Margaret Forsyth, who came from Mississippi. She had two sisters, Thelma and Dorothy. The family groves were near Sunnyside Avenue.
When she was growing up, she studied piano with Elizabeth Voellmy in Redlands. She also played the piano and sang through her years at Redlands Junior High School and Redlands High School, in junior high with director Lucile Harris and in high school with Wilbur Schowalter, who also led the Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival community sings for many years.
While in high school, she also worked 20 hours a week playing the piano for Joyce Neil's ballet classes.
After high school, she attended the University of Redlands, majoring in piano and voice, and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees, cum laude, from Redlands. At the university, she was chosen to be a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, a national music honor society.
She continued her piano study with Dalies Frantz, Paul Badura-Skoda and Istvan Nada. She also studied language in Paris, Munich and Italy.
For many years she maintained a studio in New York City and played with the Buffalo and Syracuse symphonies, operas and chamber ensembles. She had also performed with the San Francisco String Quartet and with artists at the University of Texas in Austin.
Beginning in 1971 she worked more than 21 summers with composer and director Gian Carlo Menotti at the Spoleto Festivals in Italy and Charleston, S.C., playing as a soloist and in operas, ballets and chamber music programs.
In addition to Menotti, she worked with many other contemporary composers, including Carlisle Floyd, Philip Glass and John Harbison.
Forsyth also worked with legendary singers and choreographers such as Ren e Fleming, Richard Leach, Franco Farina, Joseph Silver, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alicia Alonzo, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse and Twyla Tharp.
She had worked on more than 1,350 operas, more than 90 in production.
Since returning to Redlands, she had been staff accompanist at the University of Redlands School of Music, working with 30 to 40 students a semester, and taught in her own studio.
She had also been the pianist for Redlands Theatre Festival for about a dozen years, had accompanied many Redlands Bowl Young Artists' Auditions winners in concert and had played for the Canto Bello Chorale and Riverside Little Opera, as well as for the Metropolitan Opera auditions, master classes and many artists around Southern California.
In addition to her musical career, she taught elementary school for more than 20 years, including in Texas and, most recently, at Wilson Elementary School in San Bernardino.
She had been a member of The Spinet music club in Redlands since 1995.
Forsyth will be missed in Redlands, both as a musician and a person.
"She was a quiet, diligent accompanist who seemed to be able to play anything you handed her at sight, and she performed many difficult accompaniments just as job routine," Nelda Stuck said.
"She was one that singers would seek out as their professional accompanist for their Redlands Bowl Young Artists' Auditions when they really wanted experienced support on stage," she said. "I think of all the students she not only accompanied at the University of Redlands but to whom she also gave professional coaching advice as they rehearsed."
Stuck also recalled the many summers Forsyth played the piano for the Redlands Theatre Festival, "especially her bit as the comic rehearsal pianist in the `Forever Plaid' productions." Forsyth had also played some non-musical parts on the Redlands Theatre Festival stage.
A couple weeks before she died, her students and colleagues at the University of Redlands were planning a benefit concert to help with the medical expenses from her illness.
In information sent out about the concert, the organizers of the benefit called her a "much-respected and much-loved accompanist and coach."
Her colleagues will express that love and respect in the benefit, "an evening of music, love and kindness," that is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at the Glenn Wallichs Theatre on the University of Redlands campus.
Survivors include her son Michael Bevis of Redlands, who owns Redlands Guitar Shop, and his wife, Janet; her sister Thelma Eisenbise of Redlands; four grandchildren, Leah Sherman of Gardena, Michelle Stolzman of Yucaipa, Jessica Garner of Oregon and Max Bevis of Redlands; and seven great-grandchildren, Kira Sherman, Sadie Sherman, Hazel Sherman, Theo Sherman, Catherine Stolzman, Thomas Stolzman and Orion Garner.
Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, at Hillside Memorial Park in Redlands. Cortner Chapel is handling arrangements.
Redlands Daily Facts - 03/03/2008
Her career as a soloist, accompanist, coach, teacher, chamber artist, harpsichordist and music director included concert music, opera and musical theater.
In the 1990s she returned to Redlands where she has been a sought-after and much-loved accompanist and coach, including at the University of Redlands School of Music.
"Lorene was a top accompanist in Redlands, bringing a tremendous background of experience working with many national stars in the music world," said Nelda Stuck, former community and arts editor of the Daily Facts and one of Forsyth's friends.
"She received her early music training in Redlands, went out into the world to provide music and then returned to bring back her experiences and make Redlands a better place musically," Stuck said.
Lorene Forsyth was born Aug. 20, 1928, in Loma Linda and grew up in Redlands. Her parents were Lorill Forsyth, an early orange grower in Redlands who came here from Kansas, and Margaret Forsyth, who came from Mississippi. She had two sisters, Thelma and Dorothy. The family groves were near Sunnyside Avenue.
When she was growing up, she studied piano with Elizabeth Voellmy in Redlands. She also played the piano and sang through her years at Redlands Junior High School and Redlands High School, in junior high with director Lucile Harris and in high school with Wilbur Schowalter, who also led the Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival community sings for many years.
While in high school, she also worked 20 hours a week playing the piano for Joyce Neil's ballet classes.
After high school, she attended the University of Redlands, majoring in piano and voice, and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees, cum laude, from Redlands. At the university, she was chosen to be a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, a national music honor society.
She continued her piano study with Dalies Frantz, Paul Badura-Skoda and Istvan Nada. She also studied language in Paris, Munich and Italy.
For many years she maintained a studio in New York City and played with the Buffalo and Syracuse symphonies, operas and chamber ensembles. She had also performed with the San Francisco String Quartet and with artists at the University of Texas in Austin.
Beginning in 1971 she worked more than 21 summers with composer and director Gian Carlo Menotti at the Spoleto Festivals in Italy and Charleston, S.C., playing as a soloist and in operas, ballets and chamber music programs.
In addition to Menotti, she worked with many other contemporary composers, including Carlisle Floyd, Philip Glass and John Harbison.
Forsyth also worked with legendary singers and choreographers such as Ren e Fleming, Richard Leach, Franco Farina, Joseph Silver, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alicia Alonzo, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse and Twyla Tharp.
She had worked on more than 1,350 operas, more than 90 in production.
Since returning to Redlands, she had been staff accompanist at the University of Redlands School of Music, working with 30 to 40 students a semester, and taught in her own studio.
She had also been the pianist for Redlands Theatre Festival for about a dozen years, had accompanied many Redlands Bowl Young Artists' Auditions winners in concert and had played for the Canto Bello Chorale and Riverside Little Opera, as well as for the Metropolitan Opera auditions, master classes and many artists around Southern California.
In addition to her musical career, she taught elementary school for more than 20 years, including in Texas and, most recently, at Wilson Elementary School in San Bernardino.
She had been a member of The Spinet music club in Redlands since 1995.
Forsyth will be missed in Redlands, both as a musician and a person.
"She was a quiet, diligent accompanist who seemed to be able to play anything you handed her at sight, and she performed many difficult accompaniments just as job routine," Nelda Stuck said.
"She was one that singers would seek out as their professional accompanist for their Redlands Bowl Young Artists' Auditions when they really wanted experienced support on stage," she said. "I think of all the students she not only accompanied at the University of Redlands but to whom she also gave professional coaching advice as they rehearsed."
Stuck also recalled the many summers Forsyth played the piano for the Redlands Theatre Festival, "especially her bit as the comic rehearsal pianist in the `Forever Plaid' productions." Forsyth had also played some non-musical parts on the Redlands Theatre Festival stage.
A couple weeks before she died, her students and colleagues at the University of Redlands were planning a benefit concert to help with the medical expenses from her illness.
In information sent out about the concert, the organizers of the benefit called her a "much-respected and much-loved accompanist and coach."
Her colleagues will express that love and respect in the benefit, "an evening of music, love and kindness," that is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at the Glenn Wallichs Theatre on the University of Redlands campus.
Survivors include her son Michael Bevis of Redlands, who owns Redlands Guitar Shop, and his wife, Janet; her sister Thelma Eisenbise of Redlands; four grandchildren, Leah Sherman of Gardena, Michelle Stolzman of Yucaipa, Jessica Garner of Oregon and Max Bevis of Redlands; and seven great-grandchildren, Kira Sherman, Sadie Sherman, Hazel Sherman, Theo Sherman, Catherine Stolzman, Thomas Stolzman and Orion Garner.
Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, at Hillside Memorial Park in Redlands. Cortner Chapel is handling arrangements.
Redlands Daily Facts - 03/03/2008
REDLANDS - Lorene Forsyth, a pianist from Redlands whose musical career took her to many parts of the world to work with some of the world's top singers, choreographers and contemporary composers, died of cancer Feb. 27 at her home in Redlands. She was 79.
Her career as a soloist, accompanist, coach, teacher, chamber artist, harpsichordist and music director included concert music, opera and musical theater.
In the 1990s she returned to Redlands where she has been a sought-after and much-loved accompanist and coach, including at the University of Redlands School of Music.
"Lorene was a top accompanist in Redlands, bringing a tremendous background of experience working with many national stars in the music world," said Nelda Stuck, former community and arts editor of the Daily Facts and one of Forsyth's friends.
"She received her early music training in Redlands, went out into the world to provide music and then returned to bring back her experiences and make Redlands a better place musically," Stuck said.
Lorene Forsyth was born Aug. 20, 1928, in Loma Linda and grew up in Redlands. Her parents were Lorill Forsyth, an early orange grower in Redlands who came here from Kansas, and Margaret Forsyth, who came from Mississippi. She had two sisters, Thelma and Dorothy. The family groves were near Sunnyside Avenue.
When she was growing up, she studied piano with Elizabeth Voellmy in Redlands. She also played the piano and sang through her years at Redlands Junior High School and Redlands High School, in junior high with director Lucile Harris and in high school with Wilbur Schowalter, who also led the Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival community sings for many years.
While in high school, she also worked 20 hours a week playing the piano for Joyce Neil's ballet classes.
After high school, she attended the University of Redlands, majoring in piano and voice, and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees, cum laude, from Redlands. At the university, she was chosen to be a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, a national music honor society.
She continued her piano study with Dalies Frantz, Paul Badura-Skoda and Istvan Nada. She also studied language in Paris, Munich and Italy.
For many years she maintained a studio in New York City and played with the Buffalo and Syracuse symphonies, operas and chamber ensembles. She had also performed with the San Francisco String Quartet and with artists at the University of Texas in Austin.
Beginning in 1971 she worked more than 21 summers with composer and director Gian Carlo Menotti at the Spoleto Festivals in Italy and Charleston, S.C., playing as a soloist and in operas, ballets and chamber music programs.
In addition to Menotti, she worked with many other contemporary composers, including Carlisle Floyd, Philip Glass and John Harbison.
Forsyth also worked with legendary singers and choreographers such as Ren e Fleming, Richard Leach, Franco Farina, Joseph Silver, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alicia Alonzo, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse and Twyla Tharp.
She had worked on more than 1,350 operas, more than 90 in production.
Since returning to Redlands, she had been staff accompanist at the University of Redlands School of Music, working with 30 to 40 students a semester, and taught in her own studio.
She had also been the pianist for Redlands Theatre Festival for about a dozen years, had accompanied many Redlands Bowl Young Artists' Auditions winners in concert and had played for the Canto Bello Chorale and Riverside Little Opera, as well as for the Metropolitan Opera auditions, master classes and many artists around Southern California.
In addition to her musical career, she taught elementary school for more than 20 years, including in Texas and, most recently, at Wilson Elementary School in San Bernardino.
She had been a member of The Spinet music club in Redlands since 1995.
Forsyth will be missed in Redlands, both as a musician and a person.
"She was a quiet, diligent accompanist who seemed to be able to play anything you handed her at sight, and she performed many difficult accompaniments just as job routine," Nelda Stuck said.
"She was one that singers would seek out as their professional accompanist for their Redlands Bowl Young Artists' Auditions when they really wanted experienced support on stage," she said. "I think of all the students she not only accompanied at the University of Redlands but to whom she also gave professional coaching advice as they rehearsed."
Stuck also recalled the many summers Forsyth played the piano for the Redlands Theatre Festival, "especially her bit as the comic rehearsal pianist in the `Forever Plaid' productions." Forsyth had also played some non-musical parts on the Redlands Theatre Festival stage.
A couple weeks before she died, her students and colleagues at the University of Redlands were planning a benefit concert to help with the medical expenses from her illness.
In information sent out about the concert, the organizers of the benefit called her a "much-respected and much-loved accompanist and coach."
Her colleagues will express that love and respect in the benefit, "an evening of music, love and kindness," that is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at the Glenn Wallichs Theatre on the University of Redlands campus.
Survivors include her son Michael Bevis of Redlands, who owns Redlands Guitar Shop, and his wife, Janet; her sister Thelma Eisenbise of Redlands; four grandchildren, Leah Sherman of Gardena, Michelle Stolzman of Yucaipa, Jessica Garner of Oregon and Max Bevis of Redlands; and seven great-grandchildren, Kira Sherman, Sadie Sherman, Hazel Sherman, Theo Sherman, Catherine Stolzman, Thomas Stolzman and Orion Garner.
Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, at Hillside Memorial Park in Redlands. Cortner Chapel is handling arrangements.
Redlands Daily Facts - 03/03/2008
Her career as a soloist, accompanist, coach, teacher, chamber artist, harpsichordist and music director included concert music, opera and musical theater.
In the 1990s she returned to Redlands where she has been a sought-after and much-loved accompanist and coach, including at the University of Redlands School of Music.
"Lorene was a top accompanist in Redlands, bringing a tremendous background of experience working with many national stars in the music world," said Nelda Stuck, former community and arts editor of the Daily Facts and one of Forsyth's friends.
"She received her early music training in Redlands, went out into the world to provide music and then returned to bring back her experiences and make Redlands a better place musically," Stuck said.
Lorene Forsyth was born Aug. 20, 1928, in Loma Linda and grew up in Redlands. Her parents were Lorill Forsyth, an early orange grower in Redlands who came here from Kansas, and Margaret Forsyth, who came from Mississippi. She had two sisters, Thelma and Dorothy. The family groves were near Sunnyside Avenue.
When she was growing up, she studied piano with Elizabeth Voellmy in Redlands. She also played the piano and sang through her years at Redlands Junior High School and Redlands High School, in junior high with director Lucile Harris and in high school with Wilbur Schowalter, who also led the Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival community sings for many years.
While in high school, she also worked 20 hours a week playing the piano for Joyce Neil's ballet classes.
After high school, she attended the University of Redlands, majoring in piano and voice, and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees, cum laude, from Redlands. At the university, she was chosen to be a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, a national music honor society.
She continued her piano study with Dalies Frantz, Paul Badura-Skoda and Istvan Nada. She also studied language in Paris, Munich and Italy.
For many years she maintained a studio in New York City and played with the Buffalo and Syracuse symphonies, operas and chamber ensembles. She had also performed with the San Francisco String Quartet and with artists at the University of Texas in Austin.
Beginning in 1971 she worked more than 21 summers with composer and director Gian Carlo Menotti at the Spoleto Festivals in Italy and Charleston, S.C., playing as a soloist and in operas, ballets and chamber music programs.
In addition to Menotti, she worked with many other contemporary composers, including Carlisle Floyd, Philip Glass and John Harbison.
Forsyth also worked with legendary singers and choreographers such as Ren e Fleming, Richard Leach, Franco Farina, Joseph Silver, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alicia Alonzo, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse and Twyla Tharp.
She had worked on more than 1,350 operas, more than 90 in production.
Since returning to Redlands, she had been staff accompanist at the University of Redlands School of Music, working with 30 to 40 students a semester, and taught in her own studio.
She had also been the pianist for Redlands Theatre Festival for about a dozen years, had accompanied many Redlands Bowl Young Artists' Auditions winners in concert and had played for the Canto Bello Chorale and Riverside Little Opera, as well as for the Metropolitan Opera auditions, master classes and many artists around Southern California.
In addition to her musical career, she taught elementary school for more than 20 years, including in Texas and, most recently, at Wilson Elementary School in San Bernardino.
She had been a member of The Spinet music club in Redlands since 1995.
Forsyth will be missed in Redlands, both as a musician and a person.
"She was a quiet, diligent accompanist who seemed to be able to play anything you handed her at sight, and she performed many difficult accompaniments just as job routine," Nelda Stuck said.
"She was one that singers would seek out as their professional accompanist for their Redlands Bowl Young Artists' Auditions when they really wanted experienced support on stage," she said. "I think of all the students she not only accompanied at the University of Redlands but to whom she also gave professional coaching advice as they rehearsed."
Stuck also recalled the many summers Forsyth played the piano for the Redlands Theatre Festival, "especially her bit as the comic rehearsal pianist in the `Forever Plaid' productions." Forsyth had also played some non-musical parts on the Redlands Theatre Festival stage.
A couple weeks before she died, her students and colleagues at the University of Redlands were planning a benefit concert to help with the medical expenses from her illness.
In information sent out about the concert, the organizers of the benefit called her a "much-respected and much-loved accompanist and coach."
Her colleagues will express that love and respect in the benefit, "an evening of music, love and kindness," that is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at the Glenn Wallichs Theatre on the University of Redlands campus.
Survivors include her son Michael Bevis of Redlands, who owns Redlands Guitar Shop, and his wife, Janet; her sister Thelma Eisenbise of Redlands; four grandchildren, Leah Sherman of Gardena, Michelle Stolzman of Yucaipa, Jessica Garner of Oregon and Max Bevis of Redlands; and seven great-grandchildren, Kira Sherman, Sadie Sherman, Hazel Sherman, Theo Sherman, Catherine Stolzman, Thomas Stolzman and Orion Garner.
Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, at Hillside Memorial Park in Redlands. Cortner Chapel is handling arrangements.
Redlands Daily Facts - 03/03/2008
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