Conservatoire national de musique
Encyclopedia
Conservatoire national de musique was a music conservatory in Montreal
, Quebec
that was actively providing higher education
in music
during the first eight decades of the 20th century. Founded in 1905 by Alphonse Lavallée-Smith as the Conservatoire national de musique et de l'élocution, the school gained the official right to teach music, diction, elocution, drawing, and painting and to grant diplomas through a 1906 letters patent from Secretary of State Richard William Scott
. A few years later it was re-named the Consservatoire national Ltée. By 1912 the conservatoire had granted 250 diplomas. Jean-Noël Charbonneau served as the school's director from 1915-1922 followed by Benoît Poirier
from 1923-1925.
In 1921 the conservatoire became affiliated with the Université de Montréal
(UM) and from here on was known as the Conservatoire national de musique. Eugène Lapierre
, who had been the conservatory's secretary since 1922, was appointed the school's director kn 1927, a post he held until 1970. He notably reorganized the institution in the model of a European conservatory in 1928, having visited numerous European school's from 1924-1927. This restructuring was made possible through the generous financial support of Edmond Archambault of Archambault Musique and Joseph Versailles, and through the administrative help of Lapierre's brother Albert, Alexandre d'Aragon, and Antonio Létourneau.
In 1951 the conservatoire broke its ties with the UM and resumed independent management. Élise Chapdelaine, who had been secretary since 1940, served as interim director following Lapierre's death in 1970. Édouard Woolley
, a graduate of the institution, was director in 1971-5 and was succeeded by the school's last director, Chapdelaine.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
that was actively providing higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
during the first eight decades of the 20th century. Founded in 1905 by Alphonse Lavallée-Smith as the Conservatoire national de musique et de l'élocution, the school gained the official right to teach music, diction, elocution, drawing, and painting and to grant diplomas through a 1906 letters patent from Secretary of State Richard William Scott
Richard William Scott
Sir Richard William Scott, PC, KC was a Canadian politician and cabinet minister.He was born in Prescott, Ontario in 1825. A lawyer by training, Scott was admitted to the bar in 1848 and established a practice in Bytown...
. A few years later it was re-named the Consservatoire national Ltée. By 1912 the conservatoire had granted 250 diplomas. Jean-Noël Charbonneau served as the school's director from 1915-1922 followed by Benoît Poirier
Benoît Poirier
Benoît Fidèle Poirier was a Canadian organist, composer, and music educator. His compositional output consists of several motets, patriotic songs, and works for solo organ and piano.-Early life and education:...
from 1923-1925.
In 1921 the conservatoire became affiliated with the Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
(UM) and from here on was known as the Conservatoire national de musique. Eugène Lapierre
Eugène Lapierre
Eugène Lapierre was a Canadian organist, composer, journalist, writer on music, arts administrator, and music educator. He was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935 and the King George VI Coronation Medal in 1937...
, who had been the conservatory's secretary since 1922, was appointed the school's director kn 1927, a post he held until 1970. He notably reorganized the institution in the model of a European conservatory in 1928, having visited numerous European school's from 1924-1927. This restructuring was made possible through the generous financial support of Edmond Archambault of Archambault Musique and Joseph Versailles, and through the administrative help of Lapierre's brother Albert, Alexandre d'Aragon, and Antonio Létourneau.
In 1951 the conservatoire broke its ties with the UM and resumed independent management. Élise Chapdelaine, who had been secretary since 1940, served as interim director following Lapierre's death in 1970. Édouard Woolley
Édouard Woolley
Édouard Joseph Woolley was a Canadian tenor, actor, composer, and music educator of Haitian birth. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1958. His compositional output includes masses for three voices and for four voices, a few songs, and some instrumental pieces...
, a graduate of the institution, was director in 1971-5 and was succeeded by the school's last director, Chapdelaine.
Notable alumni
- Gaston AllaireGaston AllaireJoseph Georges-Émile Gaston Allaire was a Canadian musicologist, organist, pianist, composer, and music educator of American birth. His compositional output includes several preludes for organ, an organ work on French carols, some motets and other choral works, a communion service, a prelude and...
- Émilien AllardÉmilien AllardÉmilien Allard was a Canadian carillonneur, pianist, clarinetist, and composer. He composed more than 50 works for carillon and made more than 700 transcriptions of carillon music; many of which are still performed in Europe and North America. In 1958 he won the International Carillonneurs' Prize...
- Françoise Aubut
- Gérard Caron
- Albertine Caron-LegrisAlbertine Caron-LegrisGaylord Caron-Legris was a Canadian pianist, composer, and music educator. Many of her manuscripts and personal papers are held in the collection at the Library and Archives Canada.-Life and career:...
- Claude ChampagneClaude ChampagneClaude Champagne was a Canadian composer.Born in Montreal, Quebec, he studied violin with Albert Chamberland, organ with Orpha-F. Deveaux, and piano with Romain-Octave Pelletier I and Alexis Contant at the Conservatoire national de musique. In 1921 he went straight to Paris to study music...
- Lucien MartinLucien MartinLucien Martin was a Canadian violinist, conductor, and composer. Only one of his compositions was published, the art song La Chanson des belles, which was performed by Jeanne Desjardins in its premiere on the CBC Radio program Sérénade pour cordes.-Life and career:Born in Montreal, Martin was the...
- Colombe Pelletier
- Paul PrattPaul PrattPaul Pratt was a Canadian clarinetist, pianist, conductor, music educator, composer, and public administrator. His compositional output includes marches, waltzes, a Fantaisie-Impromptu for band, and some works for solo piano....
Notable faculty
- Victoria Cartier
- Albert ChamberlandAlbert ChamberlandAlbert Chamberland was a Canadian violinist, composer, conductor, music producer, and music educator. As a violinist he was highly active as a chamber musician with a number of notable ensembles, including the Beethoven Trio with whom he made some early recordings for His Master's Voice during the...
- Claude ChampagneClaude ChampagneClaude Champagne was a Canadian composer.Born in Montreal, Quebec, he studied violin with Albert Chamberland, organ with Orpha-F. Deveaux, and piano with Romain-Octave Pelletier I and Alexis Contant at the Conservatoire national de musique. In 1921 he went straight to Paris to study music...
- Jean-Noël Charbonneau
- Eugène ChartierEugène ChartierEugène Chartier was a Canadian violinist, violist, conductor, and teacher.Born in Montreal, Chartier studied the violin with Alfred De Sève and Oscar Martel. He played second violin with the Dubois String Quartet from 1915-20, and viola with the Chamberland String Quartet from 1920-25...
- Alexis ContantAlexis ContantJoseph Pierre Alexis Contant was a Canadian composer, organist, pianist, and music educator. The first notable Canadian composer to be entirely trained in his native country, he stated "I write not for glory but rather to satisfy an irresistible need." Although he had considerable training as a...
- Camille Couture
- Auguste Descarries
- Orpha-F. DeveauxOrpha-F. DeveauxOrpha-F. Deveaux was an American organist, pianist, and music educator. Born in Saginaw, Michigan, he studied at the New York College of Music with Mat Schmidt and privately in Montreal with Alexis Contant and Percival J. Illsley...
- J.-J. GagnierJ.-J. GagnierJean-Josaphat Gagnier was a Canadian conductor, composer, clarinetist, bassoonist, pianist, arts administrator, and music educator. His compositional output mainly consists of works for orchestra and band, although he did write some choral pieces, songs, works for solo piano and organ, some...
- François HéralyFrançois HéralyJ. A. François Héraly was a Canadian clarinetist, bandmaster, and music educator of Belgian birth. Born in the small town of Flavin near Namur, Héraly began studying music privately in 1867 in Brussels. He entered the Namur Conservatory in 1873 where he was a member of the regimental band...
- Alfred La LibertéAlfred La LibertéAlfred La Liberté was a Canadian composer, pianist, writer on music, and music educator. He was a disciple and close personal friend of Alexander Scriabin. He was also an admirer of Marcel Dupré and Nikolai Medtner. Dupré notably dedicated his Variations, Opus 22 for piano to him and Medtner...
- Arthur Laurendeau
- Arthur Letondal
- Germaine Malépart
- Rodolphe MathieuRodolphe MathieuJoseph Rodolphe Mathieu was a Canadian composer, pianist, writer on music, and music educator. The Canadian Encyclopedia states, "Considered too avant-garde for his time because of Debussy's influence on his music, Mathieu gained recognition too late to inspire the generation that followed." The...
- Léo-Pol MorinLéo-Pol MorinLéo-Pol Morin was a Canadian pianist, music critic, composer, and music educator. He composed under the name James Callihou, with his most well known works being Suite canadienne and Three Eskimos for piano. He also composed works based on Canadian and Inuit folklore/folk music and harmonized a...
- Albertine Morin-LabrecqueAlbertine Morin-LabrecqueAlbertine Morin-Labrecque was a Canadian pianist, soprano, composer, and music educator. Her compositional output includes 4 ballets, 2 comic operas, the Chinese Opera Pas-chu, 2 concertos for two pianos, the symphonic poem Le Matin, numerous symphonic works, and compositions for band...
- Frédéric PelletierFrédéric PelletierFrédéric Pelletier was a Canadian choir conductor, music educator, composer, music critic, journalist, civil servant, military officer, and physician. He was one of the principal music critics in Montreal during the first half of the 20th century, having worked in that capacity for every major...
- Benoît PoirierBenoît PoirierBenoît Fidèle Poirier was a Canadian organist, composer, and music educator. His compositional output consists of several motets, patriotic songs, and works for solo organ and piano.-Early life and education:...
- Marcel Saucier
- Joseph-Élie Savaria
- Benoît VerdicktBenoît VerdicktBenoît Verdickt was a Canadian organist, choirmaster, composer, and music educator of Belgian birth. His compositional output consists mainly of sacred music, some of which he self-published...