Jack Behrens

Jack Behrens (1935–2024) Composer, Music Educator, and Writer

Jack Behrens, a celebrated composer, music educator, and writer, passed away peacefully on December 9th, 2024 at the age of 89. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on March 25, 1935, Behrens was an influential figure in the Canadian music community whose work bridged the spheres of classical composition and academic music education.

Dr. Behrens’ music, known for its distinct blend of atonality, aleatoric, and improvisational techniques, was performed widely throughout North America, with numerous pieces featured on CBC Radio and U.S. radio stations. His compositions, including the orchestral work The Sound of Milo, which won first prize in the New Orleans Symphony contest in 1970, and his choral piece How Beautiful is the Night, awarded the Francis Boott Prize at Harvard University, earned him recognition as one of Canada’s preeminent composers of the 20th century.

A proud member of the Canadian League of Composers and an associate of the Canadian Music Centre, Behrens was dedicated to his craft and to fostering new generations of musicians. His academic career was equally distinguished. He joined the University of Saskatchewan’s music faculty in 1962, becoming head of the theory department in 1966. From there, he moved to Simon Fraser University and later taught at California State University. His tenure at the University of Western Ontario (renamed Western University) was marked by his leadership as Chair of the Music Theory and Composition Department and later as Dean of the Music Faculty. Following his retirement, Behrens continued to contribute to Canadian music as Director of Academic Studies at Toronto’s Glenn Gould School, part of the Royal Conservatory of Music.

A graduate of the Juilliard School in NY class BM ‘58, MM ‘59, Dr. Behrens earned his doctorate at Harvard and later honed his craft under the guidance of masters such as Darius Milhaud, Stefan Wolpe, and John Cage. 

His compositions received commissions by numerous institutions and individuals, including the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Orchestra London. In 1965, the Canada Council commissioned his experimental and improvisatory chamber opera The Lay of Thrym, an avant-garde work based on Viking literature that premiered in 1968. 

In 1963, Jack married Sonja Peterson Behrens, a Canadian pianist and fellow musician for nearly fifty years. Their devotion to each other was a truly special and rare bond. She predeceased him in 2012. He is survived by his sister Carole and numerous nieces, nephews and great nieces and great nephews. 

Throughout his life, Jack Behrens was devoted to the advancement of music and the education of young composers. His influence, both as a composer and educator, remains deeply felt in the Canadian music community and beyond. His legacy will live on through the many musicians he kindly mentored and important compositions he has written. For those fortunate to have known him, as a friend he was gregarious, generous and kind with a quiet air but someone who could tell a joke with a few words and a knowing smile. 

A private graveside service will be held at Grace United Methodist Church Cemetery in Millersville, PA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation, The Demuth Museum in Lancaster, The Don Wright School of Music at Western University in London, Ontario.