Ranald Shean

Shean, Ranald

Ranald Shean. Violinist, teacher, conductor, b Edmonton 6 May 1914; d 12 Apr 1997. Ranald Shean took violin lessons in Edmonton with Percy Humphrey, followed by study in Vancouver in the 1930s with Gregori Garbovitsky. Shean was one of the founders and a conductor 1941-2 of the Edmonton Philharmonic (Edmonton Symphony Orchestra) and was its concertmaster 1945-52. He was an organizer and the second conductor, 1953-60, of the Edmonton Junior Symphony Orchestra (renamed Edmonton Youth Orchestra). He also founded a second, amateur Edmonton Philharmonic Orchestra in 1971.

Ranald Shean taught privately in Edmonton prior to establishing in 1966, and serving as director of, the Edmonton Conservatory of Music. He was a teacher and assistant director 1973-9 at Alberta College, then established a private teaching studio. He also commuted 1980-3 to Calgary's Mount Royal College to assist in its Academy of Music program. Considered an outstanding string teacher, particularly of young children, he counted among his pupils Susan Cottrell, Tamara Fahlman, Julietta Kang, Ernest Kassian, Robert Klose, John Lowry, Mark Lupin, Nicholas Pulos, David Rhein, Yvonne Vercohnin, and Marlin Wolfe. Many of his pupils were accepted as members of the National Youth Orchestra. In 1977 he was presented with an Alberta Achievement Award for his service to music in the province. The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Edmonton Youth Orchestra combined to honour him in 1988 with an achievement award, and he was inducted into the Edmonton Arts and Culture Hall of Fame in 1990. The Shean Competition for Strings and Piano (named for Shean and his pianist wife Vera Shean) is held annually.