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ARCHIVED - The Glenn Gould Archive

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Glenn Gould

Childhood and Education

Part 2 of 4

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Toronto Conservatory of Music grade 3 piano certificate, February 1940

Photograph of Glenn Gould and his piano teacher Alberto Guerrero, sitting outside with Glenn's dog, at the Gould family cottage at Lake Simcoe, c. 1943

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Glenn Gould and his piano teacher Alberto Guerrero, sitting outside with dog at the Gould family cottage at Lake Simcoe, ca 1943

Toronto Conservatory of Music examination results, grade 3 piano, February 20, 1940. The examiner was composer and pianist Ernest J. Farmer.

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Toronto Conservatory of Music examination results, grade 3 piano

Toronto Conservatory of Music examination results, grade 4 piano, June 20, 1940. Reginald G. Geen, organist and choirmaster, was the examiner.

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Toronto Conservatory of Music examination results, grade 4 piano

Toronto Conservatory of Music examination results, grade 6 organ, February 16, 1944. The examiner was another notable figure in Canadian music, Healey Willan, who gave Gould high marks.

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Toronto Conservatory of Music examination results, grade 6 organ

Photograph of Glenn Gould at the piano, c. 1946

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Glenn Gould at the piano, ca 1946

Toronto Conservatory of Music silver medal for grade 4 piano, July 1940

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Toronto Conservatory of Music silver medal for grade 5 piano, 1941

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Toronto Conservatory of Music silver medal for grade 8 organ, October 1944

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Gould's parents were determined to protect their gifted son from premature exposure to the professional music world. "In their household the phrase 'child prodigy' was spoken as a dark curse, if at all," according to Robert Fulford.1 Accordingly, Gould did not give a full-scale recital until he was 13. The $10 cheque from Rogers Radio Broadcasting may have been his first income from music.

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Cheque stub for $10 from Rogers Radio Broadcasting Company in Toronto. This was payment for Glenn Gould's performance at the Kiwanis Music Festival winners concert, 194?

Concert program, from June 1938, listing 5 year old Glenn Gould at piano during his parents' vocal duet

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Program for concert in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Business Men's Bible Class, Uxbridge, Ontario, June 5, 1938. The concert included vocal duets sung by Bert and Florence Gould, accompanied by their son Glenn

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