{{Short description|American-born Canadian classical violinist}} thumb|right|Calvin Sieb '''Calvin Robert<ref name=CanE /> Sieb''' (30 May 1925 – 21 May 2007) was an American-born Canadian classical violinist who was the concertmaster of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (1959/1960–79) and the Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse (1979–89), and also played as a soloist. He was known as a "prominent"<ref name=OttCit_obit /> teacher of violin, teaching at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Québec (1951–56), the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal (1955–79) and the University of Ottawa (1989–2001). He played the Laub–Petschnikoff Stradivarius. He was a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France (1990).
==Early life and education== Calvin Sieb was born in Newark, New Jersey, on 30 May 1925,<ref name=CanE /><ref name=OttCit_obit /> to Augusta Adelaide (''née'' Cyphers) and Robert George Sieb, who ran an electrical contracting business.<ref name=PersIndex /><ref name=PersEarly /> His mother played the piano at an amateur level.<ref name=OttCit_obit /> He received violin lessons from the age of five. He attended New York College of Music (1938–43), the Juilliard School (1945–48) and Chatham Square School (1949–50), being taught by Hans Letz and the violist, Emanuel Vardi.<ref name=CanE /> In 1943–45 he was in the United States Army Air Forces.<ref name=OttJ_1972 /> In 1950, he went to France where he was taught by the violinist Jacques Thibaud (1950–51), and also briefly studied composition and aesthetics with Nadia Boulanger at Fontainebleau's Conservatoire américain (1950).<ref name=CanE /><ref name=Boivin />
==Career== His first orchestral position was as assistant conductor of the Quebec Symphony Orchestra (1951–53).<ref name=CanE /> He was the concertmaster (first violin) of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Little Symphonies Orchestra (1954–58), the CBC Radio and Television Orchestra, the National Film Board of Canada Studio Orchestra, the Stratford Festival, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (1959/1960–79) and the Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse (1979–89).<ref name=CanE /><ref name=OttCit_obit /><ref name=Gazette_1979 /> While in Toulouse, he also directed the Musicamerata of Toulouse,<ref name=CanE /> and in 1992, he founded the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra.<ref name=OttCit_2002 />
Sieb performed as a soloist with the CBC Little Symphonies Orchestra,<ref name=LittleSymph /> and the Chamber Music Orchestra (1962),<ref name=Siskind_1962 /> as well as at the Stratford Festival (1959) and the Pablo Casals Festival in Puerto Rico (1964–67).<ref name=CanE /> His first solo performance with the Montreal Symphony came in 1962, playing Saint-Saëns' Violin Concerto No. 3 with the conductor Charles Munch,<ref name=PersMontreal /><ref name=McLean_1962 /> and he subsequently played solos with that orchestra under various conductors,<ref name=OttCit_obit /> including Franz-Paul Decker,<ref name=Thomson_1972 /> Charles Dutoit,<ref name=Urquhart_1979 /> Kyril Kondrashin<ref name=McLean_1969 /> and Zubin Mehta.<ref name=Siskind_1968 /> Other major conductors with whom Sieb played as a soloist include Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Monteux, Eugene Ormandy, Malcolm Sargent and Georg Solti.<ref name=Gazette_1979 /> Towards the end of his career, Sieb guest conducted and performed chamber music and concertos with Ottawa ensembles, such as Thirteen Strings.<ref name=Siskind_1991 /> He frequently appeared in CBC broadcasts, both radio and television. His recordings include one in 1956 of the Canadian composer Rodolphe Mathieu's Quintet for piano and strings.<ref name=CanE />
He is described as a "prominent teacher" in his obituary in ''The Ottawa Citizen''.<ref name=OttCit_obit /> His notable students include Marc Bélanger,<ref name=Bélanger /> Lewis Furey<ref name=Furey /> and Kerson Leong.<ref name=Leong /> During his performing career in Canada, Sieb taught at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Québec (1951–56) and the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal (1955–79),<ref name=CanE /> where he held the rank of full professor.<ref name=Gazette_1979 /> After returning from France, he served as professor of violin at the University of Ottawa (1989–2001),<ref name=CanE /> where he is credited with improving standards.<ref name=OttCit_obit /> During his retirement, he taught at the Conservatoire de musique of Gatineau, Quebec,<ref name=CanE /> and continued to perform locally and give masterclasses until the end of his life.<ref name=OttCit_obit /> He served on the advisory committee of the Montreal International Competition (1966–79) and was on the jury of the Enesco International Competition, Bucharest (1970).<ref name=CanE />
At the Montreal Symphony, Sieb played the 1727 Laub–Petschnikoff Stradivarius loaned by ''The Montreal Star'' to the orchestra in 1961; he later purchased the instrument, which was estimated to be worth $500,000 in 1984.<ref name=McLean_1961 /><ref name=Boone /> He also owned a viola by François Le Jeune, dating from 1754.<ref name=Nixon /> He invented two violin accessories: a chin rest and the Finissima artist mute, a plastic sliding mute, adopted by Isaac Stern.<ref name=CanE /><ref name=Sarch />
==Critical appreciation== The academic Christian Vachon describes Sieb's playing at its height as among the "best in Canadian history", in an obituary for the ''Ottawa Citizen''.<ref name=OttCit_obit /> Eric McLean, in a review for the ''Montreal Star'' of his solo debut with the Montreal Symphony in 1962, praises his "clean and intelligent playing" but feels his performance could have been more emotional.<ref name=McLean_1962 /> Thomas Archer, reviewing the same performance for ''The Gazette'', describes Sieb's tone as "full and rich" and praises him for a "simple musical sense" that highlighted the music's strengths.<ref name=Archer_1962 />
Jacob Siskind, reviewing his 1968 performance of Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Montreal Symphony under Zubin Mehta, writes that although Sieb displayed his "customary feeling of involvement in the music" his Stradivarius lacked a "large enough or sufficiently penetrating sound" for a concerto solo, considering that its sound "blends too easily with that of the orchestra and is often lost completely."<ref name=Siskind_1968 /> Geoffrey Thomson, in a review of Sieb's 1972 performance of Walton's Violin Concerto with the Montreal Symphony under Franz-Paul Decker, praises his technical skills but comments that he had sometimes "not wholly absorbed Walton's highly personal brand of lyricism".<ref name=Thomson_1972 /> Siskind, in a 1991 review for the ''Ottawa Citizen'', particularly highlights his playing of "The Bird of Dawning" by the 20th-century Canadian composer Jean Coulthard, writing that Sieb's sound had a "marvellous clarity and freedom... soaring effortlessly above that of the orchestra", as well as of Stravinsky's Violin Concerto, considering that he developed "robust string tone... strong, yet never harsh."<ref name=Siskind_1991 />
Reviewing a 1989 concert, Siskind writes that "Sieb cut through his part with devastating aplomb" in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, and describes him as a "master of understatement" in Mozart's "Turkish" Violin Concerto No. 5, commending his "true poise" in the opening movement, "simplicity and a marvellous sense of line" in the slow movement and having a "good deal of good-natured fun" in the Turkish-style third movement.<ref name=Siskind_1989 /> Frances Goltman, in a ''Gazette'' review of his 1963 performance of this concerto, considers him to have an "affinity for Mozart", highlighting his "easy bowing and delicate phrasing" and "keen sense of styling."<ref name=Goltman /> McLean describes his 1969 performance of Mozart's Violin Concerto in D major as "nicely paced and always phrased in a meaningful way" but notes some initial "nervous sharpness".<ref name=McLean_1969 />
In a 1988 review of a chamber concert for the ''Ottawa Citizen'', Siskind describes Sieb's performance as that of a "thoughtful and serious chamber musician", with "uncommon wit and taste and ... an impeccable style to each phrase".<ref name=Siskind_1988 /> Richard Todd, in a 1996 review for the same newspaper of a duo with Zhanna Gumenyuk, describes Sieb's performance as "idiomatic and spirited" in a Mozart sonata, and having "panache and passion" in one by Prokofiev.<ref name=Todd />
==Awards== In 1951, Sieb placed eighth at the Marguerite Long–Jacques Thibaud International Competition.<ref name=CanE /><ref name=PersPhoto /> He received a gold medal from the city of Toulouse (1989)<ref name=OttCit_1989 /> and was appointed a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France in 1990.<ref name=CanE /><ref name=OttCit_obit />
==Personal life== Sieb gained Canadian citizenship in 1970.<ref name=CanE /><ref name=Gazette_1979 /> He was married more than once, and had two sons and a daughter.<ref name=OttCit_obit /> He died on 21 May 2007 in Quebec City, after a stroke.<ref name=CanE /><ref name=OttCit_obit />
==References== <references>
<ref name=Archer_1962>Thomas Archer (21 November 1962). Sight & Sound. ''The Gazette'', p. 10</ref>
<ref name=Bélanger>Cécile Huot (2013) [2007]. [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/marc-belanger-emc Marc Bélanger]. ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (Historical Canada)</ref>
<ref name=Boivin>Jean Boivin (2013). Providing the Taste of Learning: Nadia Boulanger's Lasting Imprint on Canadian Music. ''Intersections: Canadian Journal of Music'' 33 (2): 71–100 {{doi|10.7202/1032696ar}}</ref>
<ref name=Boone>Mike Boone (28 July 1984). MSO's Roberts doesn't fiddle around with his violin. ''The Gazette'', p. 49</ref>
<ref name=CanE>Claire L'Écuyer, Betty Nygaard King (2015) [2010]. [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/calvin-sieb-emc Calvin Sieb]. ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (Historical Canada)</ref>
<ref name=Furey>Chantal Gauthier, Betty Nygaard King (2013) [2007]. [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lewis-furey-emc Lewis Furey]. ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (Historical Canada)</ref>
<ref name=Gazette_1979>Maureen Peterson (28 April 1979). MSO concertmaster Sieb takes a bow after 20 years. ''The Gazette'', p. 18</ref>
<ref name=Goltman>Frances Goltman (9 December 1963). Chamber Orchestra Scores in Concert. ''The Gazette'', p. 14</ref>
<ref name=Leong>Steven Mazey (24 April 2010). Ottawa violinist, 13, triumphs in Oslo. ''The Ottawa Citizen'', p. C1</ref>
<ref name=LittleSymph>Annick Poussart (2013) [2006]. [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/the-little-symphoniesles-petites-symphonies-emc The Little Symphonies]. ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (Historical Canada)</ref>
<ref name=McLean_1961>Eric McLean (22 November 1961). Violin With a History. A Stradivarius for Montreal. ''The Montreal Star'', pp. 1–2</ref>
<ref name=McLean_1962>Eric McLean (21 November 1962). Munch Directs Berlioz. ''The Montreal Star'', p. 25</ref>
<ref name=McLean_1969>Eric McLean (5 November 1969). Kondrashin conducts in dazzling display. ''The Montreal Star'', p. 76</ref>
<ref name=Nixon>Geoff Nixon (15 March 2008). 1754 piece owned by U of O instructor auctioned off. ''The Ottawa Citizen'', p. 33</ref>
<ref name=PersEarly>[https://www.siegelproductions.ca/calvinsieb/earlyyears.htm The Early Years], Calvin Sieb: The Development of a Violinist (personal website) (accessed 13 November 2023)</ref>
<ref name=PersIndex>[https://www.siegelproductions.ca/calvinsieb/index.htm Calvin Sieb (May 30, 1925 – May 21, 2007)], Calvin Sieb: The Development of a Violinist (personal website) (accessed 13 November 2023)</ref>
<ref name=PersMontreal>[https://www.siegelproductions.ca/calvinsieb/montreal.htm Montreal Symphony Orchestra], Calvin Sieb: The Development of a Violinist (personal website) (accessed 12 November 2023)</ref>
<ref name=PersPhoto>[https://www.siegelproductions.ca/calvinsieb/photos.htm Photos], Calvin Sieb: The Development of a Violinist (personal website) (accessed 13 November 2023)</ref>
<ref name=OttCit_1989>Orchestra honors U of O professor. ''The Ottawa Citizen'', p. C9 (9 December 1989)</ref>
<ref name=OttCit_2002>Stephen Mazey (7 November 2002). Look at me, Ma, I'm a conductor! ''The Ottawa Citizen'', p. E3</ref>
<ref name=OttCit_obit>Charles Enman (28 May 2007). Violinist's talents raised the bar at university's music school. ''The Ottawa Citizen'', p. 49</ref>
<ref name=OttJ_1972>MSO Concertmaster soloist in Walton violin concerto. ''The Ottawa Journal'', p. 42 (8 April 1972)</ref>
<ref name=Sarch>Kenneth Sarch (2017). Con Sordino: The Art of the Mute. ''American String Teacher'' 67 (4): 00031313</ref>
<ref name=Siskind_1962>Jacob Siskind (12 June 1962). A Program of Bach. ''The Montreal Star'', p. 13</ref>
<ref name=Siskind_1968>Jacob Siskind (January 23, 1968). Mehta Returns in Concert. ''The Gazette'', p. 18</ref>
<ref name=Siskind_1988>Jacob Siskind (12 January 1988). Acoustics in small, temporary hall undo piano-violin duo's desired atmosphere. ''The Ottawa Citizen'', p. A16</ref>
<ref name=Siskind_1989>Jacob Siskind (16 October 1989). U of O violin professor complements orchestra. ''The Ottawa Citizen'', p. D10</ref>
<ref name=Siskind_1991>Jacob Siskind (15 December 1991). Delightful concert launches Thirteen Strings' new era. ''The Ottawa Citizen'', p. D11</ref>
<ref name=Thomson_1972>Geoffrey Thomson (13 April 1972). Montreal Symphony concert just short of being great. ''The Ottawa Journal'', p. 35</ref>
<ref name=Todd>Richard Todd (12 Feb 1996). Fine performance of sonatas out of tune with their description. ''The Ottawa Citizen'', p. C12</ref>
<ref name=Urquhart_1979>Carl Urquhart (26 February 1979). Dutoit most effective: MSO brightens Four Seasons. ''The Montreal Star'', p. 18</ref>
</references>
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sieb, Calvin}} Category:1925 births Category:2007 deaths Category:Musicians from Newark, New Jersey Category:New York College of Music alumni Category:Juilliard School alumni Category:20th-century American violinists Category:20th-century Canadian violinists and fiddlers Category:20th-century American classical violinists Category:Concertmasters Category:Academic staff of the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Québec Category:Academic staff of the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal Category:Academic staff of the University of Ottawa Category:Long-Thibaud-Crespin Competition prize-winners Category:Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Category:20th-century Canadian classical violinists