Wednesday 6 May 2015 Esteemed concert violinist Maureen Smith (OG57) regaled her audience at the OGC London spring branch meeting with tales of her time at Leeds Girls’ High School and of her career…before giving a violin performance. Maureen, now a professor of violin at the Royal College of Music, said she took part in every musical activity available while at LGHS. Recounting which groups she took part in, she said she played in at least two of Miss New’s orchestras, sang in junior and senior choir and played in chamber groups. She added: “I do not remember exactly how many, but what I do recall is that I did not have a single free lunch break.” The violinist’s talk focused on the three generations of musicians in her family. She is the daughter of Eta Cohen, who was author of the teaching series The Eta Cohen Violin Method, and is also the mother of two successful musicians. Her daughter Emma is an opera director, while Sophie is a freelance cellist and teacher. She jokingly noted: ‘We only do girls in our family’. At the end of her talk – in Lady Solti’s house surrounded by late conductor Sir Georg Solti’s many Grammy awards – Maureen performed Sicilienne by Maria Theresa Von Paradis, accompanied on piano by one of her students Michael Foil. Maureen is pictured (centre) with Joanne Pellow (left) the new president of the Old Girls’ Club and Chris Bamforth, the retiring president. A profile of Maureen Smith will appear in the next edition of Memento in September. Alumni
