Stephen Vost Janssen

Stephen Vost Janssen (or Vost-Janssen; November 1879/1880,Newcastle-Upon-Tyne,England – March/April 1945Sydney,Australia) was Australian violin and viola player, teacher and composer, member of the Sydney String Quartet and Austral String Quartet.

The future violist came to Australia as a child with his mother Margaret and aunt Jane in 1885. In 1887 Margaret married Charles Janssen. It is unclear if Stephen was adopted by him formally, but at least he took Charles' name. The family lived in Newcastle, New South Wales.

From 1895 (or somewhat earlier) he was studying at the Sydney College of Music, among his teachers was H.G. Rivers Allpress (died 1918). In 1903 at a Sydney College of Music examination he received a silver medal as first prize for an original piano composition (Romance in F). In April 1903 he departed for Europe. The farewell concert was held in Newcastle King's Hall and included some compositions of his own: the above-mentioned piano Romance and The Lifeboat (a song).

In May Vost Janssen arrived in London and attended the Handel Festival. He then studied violin (with Hans Becker, brother of Hugo Becker), composition (with Gustav Schreck) and orchestration at the Leipzig Conservatory Among other famous musicians he attended three concerts by 12-years old Mischa Elman. Though he contracted scarlet fever and was a patient in a hospital for two months, he received a flattering diploma.

Returning to England, Vost Janssen became a member of the John Dunn's String Quartet. On 22 May 1905 he left England for Australia. On his voyages he had an opportunity to see a little of Naples and Genova.

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