The Musicians
Jeanne Majors (Violin)
Member of the JSO: Since 1965
Hometown: Jacksonville
Education: Bachelor’s degrees in music performance and music education from Jacksonville University and a Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Musical training: During her formative years, Jeanne’s music-loving parents took her to many Jacksonville Symphony performances, as well as Civic Music Association and Little Theater (Theatre Jacksonville) presentations. Her father, Jasper N. Jones, played musical saw and harmonica and her mother, Minna S. Jones, was an elementary school music teacher. She began piano lessons at age three and violin lessons in fourth grade and studied with one of the great founding fathers of music in Jacksonville, George Orner. For six years, Jeanne played in the Jacksonville Youth Symphony, and served as Concertmaster for three years. She studied and worked for eight summers at Brevard Music Center, where her training prepared her for an early audition and acceptance for the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.
Continuity and community: The Jacksonville Symphony’s longest-term player, Jeanne began with the JSO - when it was a part-time orchestra - as a freshman at Jacksonville University. For most of the past 40 years, Jeanne served as Principal Second Violin. She is proud to have been part of the JSO’s growth over the past four decades, and her devotion to making music with her fellow performers is what makes it all worthwhile.
Education: Jeanne earned Bachelor’s degrees in music performance and music education from Jacksonville University and a Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Teaching: Before the JSO became a full-time orchestra in 1976, she taught strings in the Duval County public schools. Jeanne has served as a faculty member and performer at Brevard Music Center. She teaches violin & viola in her home studio. Several of her past students are now teachers and performers, in Jacksonville and in other parts of the country. In the summer of 2002 she founded Prelude Chamber Music Camp with two of her symphony colleagues, Chris Chappell and Vernon Humbert.
Performance and study: Jeanne has participated in extensive study and travel in the United States and Europe. She enjoys performing chamber music with colleagues.
Most memorable JSO concert: "I was lucky enough to be a part of both Carnegie Hall concerts that we presented in 1972 and 1998," she recalls. The 1972 concert included two premieres, Duke Ellington’s Celebration and a "one-woman opera," Flower and Hawk written by Carlisle Floyd about Eleanor of Aquitaine, featuring Phyllis Curtin. The concert was also performed at Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Home life: Jeanne’s husband is Brent Majors, a jazz saxophonist and woodwind instructor. "Our students and friends have become special family members," she added. "We are always pleased when a former student asks us to play at their wedding or to participate in some other way in their ‘grown up’ lives!"
Off the stage: Jeanne participates in Bible studies at her church. She lives in the home where she grew up and enjoys swimming & bike riding. She and her husband love to travel the United States and abroad.
Professional organizations: Jeanne is a member of the Florida Federation of Music Clubs, the American String Teachers Association, and the Friday Musicale.