Sylvia Lent
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sylvia Lent was born in Washington, D. C., the daughter of composer and cellist Ernest Lent and pianist Mary (Mamie) Simons Lent.[1] Ernest Lent was born and educated in Germany.[2] She studied violin with her cousin, Gilbert Ross (their mothers were sisters), from childhood through studies in Chicago with Leopold Auer. Ross later became a music professor at Cornell University.[3][4] She also studied with Ovide Musin[5] and Franz Kneisel.[6]
Career
Sylvia Lent made her debut concert tour in Germany,[7] playing in Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig and Munich in 1922.[8][9] Her New York debut followed in March 1923.[10] By age 23 she had been featured as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the State Symphony Orchestra of New York, and the New York Symphony Orchestra.[11][12] She played a rare Domenico Montagnana violin made in 1735, a gift from a collector in Minnesota.[13]
Her youthful appearance and small stature were frequently mentioned in reviews of her concerts, even when she was well into adulthood.[14] "She is petite, sylph-like, with an almost childish face and head," mentioned one 1933 newspaper account, before describing her skills.[15] In 1927 she was the youngest artist ever featured on The Atwater Kent Hour radio program.[16] She made one recording for the Victor Talking Machine Company, in 1924.[17]

