Search for "New France"

Octave Crémazie, baptized Claude-Joseph-Olivier, poet, bookseller (b at Québec, Lower Canada 16 Apr 1827; d at Le Havre, France 16 Jan 1879).

Thomas Pichon, alias Thomas Tyrell, colonial official, spy, author (b at Vire, France 30 Mar 1700; d at St Helier, Jersey 22 Nov 1781).

Robbin has performed in recital and in oratorios and concerts with major Canadian orchestras and choirs. She also has sung with the Boston SO, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the English Baroque Soloists, the National SO, and the St Louis SO, among others.

(Paul) Claude Corbeil. Lyric bass, b Rimouski, Que, 17 Apr 1940; premier prix (CMM) 1958. He studied 1955-8 at the CMM under Dina Maria Narici and Ruzena Herlinger, and at 18 made his debut as Schaunard in La Bohème with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra conducted by Wilfrid Pelletier.

​Solange Chaput-Rolland, OC, OQ, author, television host, politician, senator and advocate for constitutional recognition of Québec’s special status within the Canadian federation (born 14 May 1919 in Montréal, QC; died 31 October 2001 in Sainte-Marguerite-Estérel, QC).

Alasdair (Duart) MacLean. Composer, b Liverpool, NS, 8 Jan 1955; B MUS (Mount Allison) 1982, B MUS (Juilliard) 1985, M MUS (Juilliard) 1986, Diplome d'Honneur de composition (L'Ecole d'Art americaine, Fontainebleau, France) 1986, D MUS (Toronto) 1996.

Colette (Marie-Rose Élisabeth) Boky (b Giroux). Soprano, b Montreal 4 Jun 1935; premier prix voice (CMM) 1962. In 1953 Jean Deslauriers heard her at an amateur competition and advised her to study voice, which she did 1953-5 at the École Vincent-d'Indy, and later privately with Laurette Bailly.

Louise Forestier. Singer, songwriter, actress, b Shawinigan, Que, 10 Aug 1943.

André Lortie, tenor (born 11 May 1930 in Montreal, Quebec). André Lortie handled tragic roles as easily as comic parts. His performances of Beppe in I Pagliacci and Spoletta in Tosca established his reputation in Canada as a singer of character roles.

Luc Beauséjour has maintained an international performance career that has taken him to many countries including France, the United States, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, and Bermuda.

Diane Tell (b Fortin). Singer, songwriter, guitarist, b Quebec City, to a Canadian father and US mother, 24 Dec 1957. Her childhood was spent between Paris, Montreal and Val-d'Or, Que. She studied violin and classical guitar at the CMM, and jazz guitar at Saint-Laurent College.

Edith Butler, singer-songwriter (b at Paquetville, near Caraquet, NB 27 July 1942). Through her stormy songs and her expressive warmth, Edith Butler helps spread Acadian culture. She has a master's degree in literature and in traditional ethnography from Laval University (1966-69).

Donald Deschênes. Folklorist, b St-Octave-de-l'Avenir, Gaspésie, Que, 23 Jun 1952; BA (Laval) 1976, M MUS ethnomusicology (Laval) 1988. In addition to musicological research, he has performed folk music and his own compositions beginning in 1975.

Jules Bruyère. Baritone, b Murray Bay, near Quebec City, 18 Apr 1928. After studying voice 1946-7 with Louis Gravel in Quebec City he went to Montreal to work 1947-50 with Albert Cornellier. He also studied with Martial Singher in the summer of 1948 in Aspen, Col, and 1948-51 at the CMM.

Jan Cherniavsky. Pianist, b Uman, Ukraine, 25 Jun 1892, naturalized Canadian 1922, d Vancouver 8 Jan 1989.

Karen Marie Connelly, poet, novelist (b at Calgary, Alta 12 Mar 1969). Karen Connelly grew up in Calgary. In 1986, at the age of 17, she won a Rotary Scholarship that allowed her to spend a year living in a village in northern Thailand.

Josèphe Colle. Soprano, teacher, b Nancy, France, 24 Aug 1929, naturalized Canadian 1958; BA, psychology (Montreal) 1955; premier prix, analysis and musical aesthetics (Cons national, Paris) 1956.

Sophie Rolland. Cellist, b Montreal 18 Jul 1961; premier prix cello (CMM) 1981, Diplôme d'études supérieures (Quebec Department of Education) 1981. She began her musical studies in piano at age five at the École Vincent-d'Indy.

Robin Poitras, CM, dancer, teacher, choreographer, administrator (born 1958 in Regina, SK). Robin Poitras is the co-founder and artistic and managing director of Regina-based New Dance Horizons. It is one of Canada’s most successful and groundbreaking contemporary dance organizations. It has played a crucial role in the development of contemporary dance in Saskatchewan since the mid-1980s. Poitras has received a YWCA Women of Distinction Award for the Arts, as well as lifetime achievement awards from the Regina Mayor’s Arts and Business Awards and the Saskatchewan Arts Board. She was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2021.

Joseph Joachim Ulric Voyer, opera composer, playwright, music teacher, organist and court clerk (born 5 July 1892 in Québec City, Québec; died 8 January 1935 in Québec City).