Violet Archer

Violet Archer (24 April 191321 February 2000) was a Canadian composer, teacher, pianist, organist, and percussionist. Education and teaching career Born Violetta Balestreri in Montreal (the family changed its name to Archer in 1940), Archer earned a Licentiate in music from McGill University in 1934, and a Bachelor of Music from McGill in 1936; she studied composition with Claude Champagne and Douglas Clarke. From 1953-61, she taught at the University of Oklahoma. Returning to Canada in 1961 as a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto, she set her studies aside when, in 1962, she joined the Faculty of Music at the University of Alberta, where she taught until her retirement in 1978; during this time she was chair of the theory and composition department. Her notable students included Larry Austin, Jan Randall, Allan Gilliland, and Allan Gordon Bell. Musical career Archer built a career as a musician and composer in addition to teaching. She played percussion in the Montreal Women’s Symphony Orchestra from 1940-47 during the era when women had no access to positions in major professional orchestras. In addition to percussion, Archer played clarinet and strings, and worked i