John Delevoryas

1924 - 2016

John Basil Delevoryas

November 12, 1924 to June 28, 2016

John Basil Delevoryas was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut to Basil and Sophie Delevoryas, who came over as immigrants from Greece.

John began studying piano at the age of five. His parents, realizing he had perfect pitch and a natural affinity for the instrument, encouraged him to take lessons with several local teachers. He excelled in his studies throughout high school and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in language and literature from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1946.

John received a scholarship to the prestigious The Juilliard School of Music in New York where he studied piano with Ernest Hutcheson and Gordon Stanley, graduating as one of just three cum laude students with a Master of Science degree in 1949.

He was honored as the outstanding pianist of his class, was presented the Rosenberg and Loeb Prizes for pianistic achievement and was offered a sponsorship for a world tour.

Instead of accepting the sponsorship, he decided to take the position on the faculty at Julliard, in order to be closer to his future wife, Sonja Hornstein, a talented violinist and violist.

He married Sonja in 1950 and welcomed his first daughter, Rachel in 1952.

In 1955, John accepted a position as professor of piano studies at San Jose State University. Penelope, his second daughter was born at this time. The family originally resided in a small house on 1270 Guadalupe Parkway (which is gone now, having been made into an interchange freeway). In the year 1957 his son Peter was born at which time the family purchased their first home in Cambrian Park.

John enjoyed a number of hobbies, including building and flying radio-controlled and rubber-powered aircraft, planting over thirty tropical fruit trees in his back yard (all of which produced excellently), and the collecting of rare stamps.

However his major passion (besides music) was photographing birds all over the world (for which he made a name for himself). He has travelled world-wide in quest of every bird that it was possible to capture on film. Many of his photos grace a number of birding texts and calendars.

In 1966, John was offered a cultural exchange with Dr. Helmut Vogel, his German counterpart at the Hochschule für Musik in Mannheim, Germany. The two families exchanged homes and jobs for one year.

In the meantime, John continued to add to his rare collection of European music during the second year of his sabbatical. The family visited several European countries in their red and white Volkswagen bus, including a month on the Greek islands of Mykonos, Corfu and Delos.

Upon returning to San Jose in 1968, John continued to teach advanced piano to hundreds of students, many of whom hailed from Taiwan. He also participated in many faculty concerts, both chamber and orchestral, and numerous musical extracurricular activities. He also began recording his repertoire on tape and, later, on CD.

At San Jose State University, John taught advanced piano, music theory, introduction to music literature, and music appreciation. He performed many solo recitals and ensemble concerts, including as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony under the direction of Arthur Fiedler, performing the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1. He conveyed a passion for the classical works and had a unique style of interpretation, which included precise attention to musical accuracy and nuance.

John's Taiwanese students adored him and gave him the appelation "Laoshe" which means "Honored Teacher." He was invited to teach in Taiwan, where he was treated with great honor and respect. John helped his students prepare for piano competitions; at least one of whom won a statewide competition. He was often invited to adjudicate for local and some international piano competitions.

Even late in life, John had perfect recollection of nearly every piano work in the standard literature and could sing the basic melodies by heart. He was rigid in his interpretation of any and every piano work within his purview and was careful to consistently advise his students of their own need to pay attention to these concepts.

He retired as Professor "Emeritus" from San Jose State University in 1990.

John's fascination with wild birds continued on into the later years of his life. His travels included Hawaii, Costa Rica, Bonaire, Kenya, Australia, New Guinea, India, China, Taiwan, Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico, as well as birding spots around the United States. John also learned seven languages which included Mandarin Chinese.

John later became interested in native Californian plants, landscaping his second home to provide a sanctuary-habitat for local bird species. He took extra care with maintaining his own health, paying special attention to nutrition and fitness, and attended gym every week; also bicycling and walking as much as possible.

Above all, he was a very generous man, supporting numerous environmental organizations, including the Rainforest Action Network, contributing to the purchase of land for conservation purposes. He also supported the education of a student in Yucatan, Mexico whose father shared his love for bird song recording and photography.

John believed in the good that resides inside every human being and, late in life, stressed that it is important to "forgive 70 x 7 times".

John is survived by his siblings, Lillian, Theodore, and Mark; children Rachel, Penelope and Peter; and nephews Nicholas, Matt, and Chris; and his grandchildren Peter, Ruth, and Amy.

A "Celebration of John's Life" memorial service will be held at the Music Department Concert Hall, San Jose State University, 1 Washington Square, San Jose, CA, 95192 Friday, July 22, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. This event is open to the public after which a private reception is being held at "The Flames Restaurant".

"..untwisting the chains which bind the Hidden Soul of Harmony"