Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Wednesday, September 05, 2012 at 06:38:37 :
Independent Journal
Wednesday, 10 October 2001
MITCHELL, Jean Marie Mattos Maguire, 80, of Mill Valley, passed away October 8, 2001. Russell & Gooch Funeral Chapel, Mill Valley, 415-388-1573.
Jean Marie Mattos Maguire Mitchell
A San Francisco Symphony cellist of 35 years and a founder of the Marin and other Symphonies, passed away at her Mill Valley Home on October 8, 2001 due to a serious liver ailment. She was 80 years of age. Mrs. Maguire Mitchell was born in Stockton Calif. in 1921. After living in San Francisco she settled in Mill Valley Calif. in 1930 and remained there until her death. Beginning the Cello at age nine, she studied under Stanislas Bem of the San Francisco Conservatory, Williem Van den Burg, Principal Cellist of the Philadelphia Symphony, and Boris Blinder, Principal Cellist of the San Francisco Symphony. She attended Mill Valley public schools and graduated from Tamalpais High School. In 1935 she was the first winner of the Marin Music Chest Scholarship and later awarded a full scholarship to Dominican College. Her musical career began with dance band orchestras in the San Francisco area and included performing with Duke Ellington, Henry Mancini, Charles Mingus, Earnie Hecksher, and other renowned jazz musicians. Before continuing her career in classical music she played at the Curran, Geary, and Circle Star Theaters. She frequently performed in the Carmel Bach Festival. She started her classical career with the Houston Symphony Orchestra in 1950 under Efrem Kurtz. When she returned to Marin in 1951, she founded the Marin Symphony Orchestra with Ann Oppenheim, Tina Dewey, and Charles Meacham. She was a soloist with the San Jose, Sacramento, and Monterey Symphonies and performed with visiting orchestras and ballets including the New York City Ballet and the Fujiwara Opera Company of Japan. She was the first President and Principal Cellist for the Marin Symphony for 32 years. She was a featured soloist with the Marin Symphony on several occasions performing Schelomo (composed by Mill Valley resident Ernest Bloch), Beethoven's Triple Concerto, Dvorak's Cello Concerto and Strauss's Don Quixote. She continued to perform with Charles Meacham for over 40 years as one of the founders of the Marin Arts Quartet. She auditioned for and won a chair in the San Francisco Symphony cello section with Maestro Enrique Jorda in 1957. She progressed to the fifth chair of the cello section. During her musical career she developed close friendships with Arthur Feidler of the Boston Pops and Seiji Ozawa with whom she, along with the San Francisco Symphony, toured Japan, Europe, and Russia. After retiring from the San Francisco Symphony she founded the Emeritus Symphony Orchestra, comprised of retired musicians, which performed a number of free concerts throughout the Bay Area. Mrs. Maguire Mitchell also founded the Clear Lake Performing Arts Society. She taught cello students privately for over 50 years an was on the faculty of College of Marin and San Domenico High School. On October 22, 2000, Mrs. Mitchell was awarded the first Sali Lieberman Award by the City of Mill Valley Art Commission for her accomplishments in the field of music. Mrs. Maguire Mitchell was the sixth liver transplant on the west coast (1988). She was forever grateful for the donation of her liver and fervently promoted organ donations in her later years. She is survived by her sister, Bernice Schneider of Belvedere and children of two marriages. Mrs. Maguire Mitchell was first married to Robert M. Maguire with whom she had three children Michael A. Maguire of Mill Valley, a Manager with AC Transit, Daniel G. Maguire, a Marin County Attorney and Monica J. Maguire of Santa Rosa, a Cellist that has performed with San Francisco, Marin, and Santa Rosa Symphonies. She then married Lucien Mitchell, Principal Violist with the San Francisco Opera and a member of the San Francisco Symphony for more than 35 years. She is also survived by a step daughter, Susan Zelenek of Santa Rosa and Step Daughter-in-law, Rose Marie Mitchell of Redwood City. She has 18 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Visitation and Rosary will be Russell & Gooch Funeral Chapel Miller Avenue Mill Valley Thursday 6:30 p.m. and a Funeral Mass will be celebrated 10:30 a.m. Friday October 12, 2001 at St. Hillary's Church, Tiburon. The family requests any donations to be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Russell & Gooch Funeral Chapel 270 Miller Avenue Mill Valley, CA 415-388-1573.
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