The CLC was deeply saddened to learn that longtime member Jack Behrens passed away on December 9, 2024.
Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1935, Behrens’ music was widely performed throughout North America, with numerous works featuring on CBC Radio and American radio stations. His compositions, including the orchestral work The Sound of Milo, which won first prize in the New Orleans Symphony contest in 1970, and his choral piece How Beautiful is the Night, awarded the Francis Boott Prize at Harvard University, earned him recognition as one of Canada’s preeminent composers of the 20th century.
As a teacher and mentor, Behrens also had a profound impact on multiple generations of Canadian composers, teaching at the University of Saskatchewan from 1962-66, Simon Fraser University from 1966-1970, and the University of Western Ontario from 1976-1986, including serving as Dean of the Faculty from 1980-1986.
Behrens is survived by his sister Carole and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. He was predeceased by his wife, Canadian pianist Sonja Peterson Behrens, in 2012. Donations in his memory may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation, The Demuth Museum in Lancaster, and The Don Wright School of Music at Western University in London, Ontario.
