Djane Lavoie-Herz

Djane Lavoie-Herz (1889–1982) was a Canadian pianist and teacher. She studied in Montreal with Alfred La Liberté and then went to Europe where she studied in London, Paris, Berlin (where she studied with Artur Schnabel), and Brussels (where she studied with Alexander Scriabin).[1] Through Scriabin’s influence, Herz became interested in Theosophy, a religious movement. The ideas of theosophy were deeply intertwined with Scriabin’s compositions, in which dissonant harmony was seen as spiritual.[2]

Djane Lavoie-Herz
Birth nameDjane Lavoie
Born1889
Ottawa, Ontario
Died1982 (age 94)
Occupation(s)Pianist, teacher
Instrument(s)Piano

In 1918, after having studied with Scriabin for two years, Herz moved to Chicago. In 1920, she founded a salon on Grand Boulevard, where she hosted soirees that featured Scriabin’s music and discussions of theosophy. These salons were attended by musicians including Henry Cowell, Dane Rudhyar, and Carl Ruggles.[2]

In 1924, Djane Lavoie-Herz began to teach American pianist and composer Ruth Crawford Seeger, to whom she introduced the music of Scriabin and the ideas of theosophy. Herz’s mentorship was a formative part of Seeger’s journey as a composer.[3] It was through Herz that Seeger met Dane Rudhyar and Henry Cowell, who also had an impact on her career.[4] Composer Vivian Fine also studied piano with Djane Lavoie-Herz in the 1920s, and later studied harmony and composition with Ruth Crawford Seeger.[5]

References
  1. "Djane Lavoie-Herz | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca.
  2. Ballard, Lincoln M. (2012). "A Russian Mystic in the Age of Aquarius: The U.S. Revival of Alexander Scriabin in the 1960s". American Music. 30 (2): 194–227. doi:10.5406/americanmusic.30.2.0194. S2CID 191613100.
  3. Zander, Autumn L. (2015). "Ruth Crawford Seeger: An American Original". American Music Teacher. 65 (2): 20–23. JSTOR 26407342.
  4. Tick, Judith (October 15, 1997). Ruth Crawford Seeger : a composer's search for American music. New York : Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-506509-1 – via Internet Archive.
  5. "Fine, Vivian". Milken Archive of Jewish Music.
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