Catherine Comet (born 1944) is a French-born, American

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

who, from 1986 to 1997, was the music director of the

Grand Rapids Symphony The Grand Rapids Symphony is a professional orchestra located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1930, the Symphony celebrated its 90th anniversary season in 2019-20. In 2006, its recording ''Invention and Alchemy'' was nominated for Be ...

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

, becoming the first woman to hold a post as music director of a professional orchestra in the United States.

Formative years

Comet was born in

Fontainebleu Fontainebleau ( , , ) is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the ''arrondissem ...

, France in 1944. Her mother took her to hear her first symphony concert when she was five years old. She subsequently began studying the piano with a pianist who lived in her neighborhood. Throughout these formative years, she was home schooled by her mother, who used curriculum materials that were approved for home instruction by the French government. This enabled Comet to focus more intensely on her musical training during her youth, which ultimately prepared her for admission to the

Paris Conservatory The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...

Nadia Boulanger Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher, conductor and composer. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organis ...

became one of her mentors.

Conducting career

From 1984 to 1986, Comet was associate conductor of the

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore SO has its principal residence at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, where it performs more than 130 concerts a year. In 2005, ...

. During her eleven-year tenure with the Grand Rapids Symphony, from 1986 to 1987, Comet also served as music director of the

American Symphony Orchestra The American Symphony Orchestra is a New York–based American orchestra founded in 1962 by Leopold Stokowski whose mission is to demystify orchestral music and make it accessible and affordable for all audiences. Leon Botstein is the orchestra ...

. Following her tenure in Grand Rapids, she served as a guest conductor for numerous other orchestras, including the Quad Cities Symphony in Davenport, Iowa in 2004.

Awards

Comet received the Seaver/National Endowment for the Arts Conductors Award in 1988.

References

External links

*
Interview with Catherine Comet
January 7, 1991 {{DEFAULTSORT:Comet, Catherine French women conductors (music) American women conductors (music) Living people 1944 births 21st-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American women musicians 20th-century American women musicians French emigrants to the United States