Janie (Jane Palmer Logan) started violin lessons as a child. She played in a number of school orchestras, through to graduating high school. The Minnesota Orchestra would visit Rochester once a year, and there’s no doubt she drew inspiration from those concerts. Apart from her violin lessons, Janie participated in many sports, including swimming, at which she was very good, archery, tennis, and riflery, of all things! After high school, she attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota and upon graduating, Janie was accepted to Yale University to study violin with Mr. Broadus Earle. It was at Mr. Earle’s suggestion, that Janie switched to viola.

Her professional career, upon graduating from Yale, began with the Tulsa Philharmonic in 1968, after which she joined the Seattle Symphony in 1969. In 1971, Janie auditioned for the NAC Orchestra, and departed Seattle for Ottawa. Thereafter, in 1982, Maestro Bernardi appointed her Principal Viola. Sadly, she was forced to retire in 2011, as a result of several shoulder replacement surgeries.

During her first years with the orchestra, she traveled a number of times to Sienna, Italy, to work with the renowned violist, Bruno Giranna. Janie performed often in the NAC’s chamber music series, Music For a Sunday Afternoon. She had a true passion and love of chamber music.

A number of highlights stand out in Janie’s 40 year long career in Ottawa. In January of 1991, she was invited to play the Mozart quintet in C major, K. 515 with the Colorado Quartet. In the fall of 1993, our wonderful principal guest conductor at the time, Franz Paul Decker, invited Janie to play Wolf’s, Italian Serenade with the orchestra. Once again, in January of 1998, Maestro Decker invited Janie to play Enesco’s, Concertstuck for Viola and Orchestra. In September of 2001, she was invited to play the Schubert Trio in B flat major with Pinchas Zukerman and Yo Yo Ma, during our fall Gala.

Janie is survived by her sister, Kathryn Palmer Logan of Pittsburgh, PA, Thetis Bernard, Drew Bernard and Bronwynn Bernard. Her cousins Carol Stark of Syracuse, NY, Mary Staley of Pittsburgh, PA and numerous other cousins living in the United States