Lorna Cooke deVaron

Who is Lorna Cooke deVaron?

Lorna Cooke deVaron is an American choral conductor. She is one of the pre-eminent choral conductors of the 20th century, having given the world premiere or American premiere of many important works by Benjamin Britten, Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, Irving Fine, Gunther Schuller, Daniel Pinkham, and others. DeVaron founded the New England Conservatory Chorus, which she directed from 1947 to 1988.

DeVaron studied at Wellesley College and Radcliffe College, where she assisted G. Wallace Woodworth in the direction of the Radcliffe Choral Society. Subsequently, she became Assistant Professor of Music at Bryn Mawr College, whose choir she conducted. Her principal conducting teacher was Robert Shaw, with whom she studied at Tanglewood. In 1953, deVaron was appointed to the faculty of Tanglewood. There, she trained the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. She quickly became sought after as a choral conducting teacher to students from all over the world.

For 34 years DeVaron prepared choruses for top orchestras, most notably the Boston Symphony Orchestra who collaborated regularly with the New England Conservatory Chorus prior to the formation of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. Six of deVaron's recordings won the Grand Prix du Disque. She also received several nominations from the National Academy of Recording Arts.