Lois Marshall (1924-1997)

1993 Lifetime Artistic Achievement (Classical Music)

While music remains a mystery, Lois Marshall's singing has brought audiences all over the world into a rare closeness with its true essence.

Her unique spiritual empathy with the artist's vision has allowed listeners to experience the music of the great composers in the way they intended it to be heard. Her impeccable musicianship and deep understanding of the music earned her the respect and admiration of the finest conductors of this century, among them Toscanini, Beecham, Klemperer and, in Canada, MacMillan.

She is famed for her singing of the great oratorios and the remarkable power and quality of her three-octave voice, from lower mezzo soprano to coloratura soprano, which has brought her rave reviews from London to Moscow. In Canada she has been an inspiration to singers and musicians, with even the great Glenn Gould declaring himself in awe of her.

She is the lodestar for decades of young Canadian artists, actively demonstrating that no obstacle need bar the way to greatness. She continues to give generously of her time, and now as a teacher with a deep compassion and understanding for the younger generation. She was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1967.