Dorothy Bee

Bee, Dorothy

Dorothy (Williamina) Bee. Piano teacher, editor, bassist, b Lemberg, near Regina, 1 Nov 1910, d Regina 20 Sep 1986; ATCM 1928, LAB 1931. She studied piano 1928-31 with William M. Buckley and in 1936 with Lyell Gustin, and took master classes in 1940 with Rosalyn Tureck, several times 1944-8 with Max Pirani, in 1960 with Victor Babin, and in 1970 and 1971 with André Previn. As head of the WBM's piano syllabus committee 1968-74 she introduced to the syllabus more than 1000 new pieces, many by little-known composers. Also for the WBM Bee was co-editor, with Gordon Wallis, of Explorations (Leeds 1969, three volumes of piano studies designed to resolve specific technical problems), and editor-in-chief of eight graded volumes of piano repertoire (Waterloo 1976). She pioneered workshops for rural Saskatchewan piano teachers, was president 1955-7 of the SRMTA (becoming a life-member in 1968) and was a vice-president of the CFMTA. Bee became a faculty member of the Regina Cons in 1946 and began teaching at the University of Regina in 1949. She retired in 1979 as associate professor emeritus but continued to teach at the conservatory. She was an adjudicator and piano consultant for the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association and the SAB and an examiner for the WBM and Mount Royal College, Calgary. Bee played double-bass 1943-71 in the Regina Symphony Orchestra. Her piano pupils included Donald Bohlen, Joan Gabriel, Sylvia Howell, Deanne Parker, Joyce Reddell, Glenna Syse, and Barry Wells.