Search for "New France"

Richard ('Dick') Armin. Cellist, b Winkler, Man, 13 Aug 1944 (Paul's twin); performance certificate (Indiana) 1963. He studied cello 1957-61 with Thaddeus Markevitch in Detroit, in 1961 with Luigi Silva in New York, and 1962-4 with János Starker at Indiana University.

Serge Bennathan, choreographer, director (born at L'Aigle, France 14 Aug 1957). Serge Bennathan immigrated to Canada in 1985 and has established a reputation as one of Canada's most distinctive choreographers.

Eddy Toussaint's early jazz work with dancer Eva VON GENCSY led to a 1973 engagement at the Banff School of Fine Arts, where he danced and taught. In 1972 he joined von Gencsy and Geneviève SALBAING to launch LES BALLETS JAZZ DE MONTRÉAL, but left a year later.

Victoria Grace Blackburn, journalist, poet, playwright, novelist (b at Quebec City, 17 Apr 1865; d at London, Ont 4 Mar 1928). Born in Quebec City, Blackburn attended Hellmuth Ladies' College in London, Ontario.

Wyatt Eaton, portrait, genre and landscape painter, illustrator (b at Philipsburg, Qué 6 May 1849; d at Newport, RI 7 June 1896). Eaton left Canada for New York around 1867 and studied at the National Academy of Design, and then for 5 years under Joseph Oriel Eaton.

Victor Occellier. Baritone, teacher, b Italy, d Quebec City 3 Dec 1916. He studied in France and began his operatic career there. He visited Canada in October 1899 as a member of the Durieu-Nicosias company, to which Salvator Issaurel also belonged.

Robert Gurik, dramatist (b at Paris, France 16 Nov 1932). He immigrated to Canada in 1951 and qualified as an engineer before deciding to devote himself to theatre.

Jacques Folch-Ribas, novelist and art critic (b at Barcelona 4 Nov 1928). His family left Spain to flee the Franco regime, and settled in France in 1939.

Jean-François Sénart. Conductor, b Anglet, France, 27 Apr 1943; BA (Montreal) 1962. He moved to Canada in 1952 and later studied literature at the University of Montreal.

Georges Charles-Jules Bugnet, pseudonym of Henri Doutremont, editor, writer, botanist (b at Chalon-sur-Saône, France 23 Feb 1879; d at St Albert, Alberta, 11 Jan 1981).

Phil Comeau, CM, ONB, film director, screenwriter and producer (born 1956 in Saulnierville, Nova Scotia). This Acadian director’s films have received over 55 awards in Canada and abroad. They address subjects such as youth, human relationships, art, history and Acadian identity. His film Le secret de Jérôme (1994) garnered some 15 awards and is regarded as the first independent Acadian feature film produced in Canada. Comeau’s 2016 documentary feature Zachary Richard, toujours batailleur/Zachary Richard, Cajun Heart received the La Vague Léonard-Forest Award and the Audience Choice Award at the FICFA international francophone film festival in Moncton, New Brunswick and the Director’s Choice Award - Documentary Feature at the Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Baillairgé Family, architects, sculptors and painters active in Québec for 5 generations until well into the 20th century, the most prominent of whom are Jean, François, Thomas and Charles.

(Joseph) André (Roger) Laplante. Pianist, teacher, b Rimouski, Que, 12 Nov 1949; B MUS (Montreal) 1968, M MUS (Montreal) 1970. André Laplante began studying piano at seven and continued after 1964 at the École Vincent-d'Indy with Natalie Pépin and Yvonne Hubert.

Béatrice Martin (a.k.a. Cœur de pirate), writer, composer, singer, lyricist, pianist (born 22 September 1989, in Montreal, QC). Winner of several Félix Awards, including New Artist of the Year in 2009 and Most Famous Quebec Artist outside Quebec in 2012, Cœur de pirate has made their mark with the Quebec public and French. After the release of their bilingual album Roses in 2015, Cœur de pirate's fame spread across English-speaking Canada, the United States and several European countries.

Bernard Labadie. Conductor, b Quebec City 27 Mar 1963; B MUS (Laval) 1986, premier prix harmony (CMM) 1988, deuxième prix counterpoint (CMQ) 1989. Labadie's interest in music, especially Baroque music, started when he received an album of Bach's Mass in B Minor at age 11.

Kathleen Howard. Contralto, b Clifton (Niagara Falls), Ont, 17 Jul 1880, d Hollywood 15 Aug 1956. She was a child when her English parents emigrated to Buffalo, but she returned to Canada in 1903 to tour as soloist with the Coldstream Guards.

Albert Clerk-Jeannotte. Tenor, teacher, administrator, b St-Hilaire (now Mont-St-Hilaire), near Montreal, 15 Jan 1881, d New York 21 Jul 1945. He began music study with his uncle, Alexandre-M. Clerk, and with Achille Fortier.

Wilson-McAllister Guitar Duo. Duo active 1977-89 and comprised of Donald (William) Wilson (b Elrose, Sask, 21 Feb 1952; B MUS Toronto 1975), and Peter McAllister (b Collingwood, Ont, 19 Aug 1954; B MUS Toronto 1977). Both were students of Eli Kassner.

Clement Greenberg, art critic (born 16 January 1909 in the Bronx, New York, NY; died 7 May 1994 in New York, NY).

Hesselberg, Edouard (Gregory). Pianist, composer, b Riga, Latvia 3 May 1870, d Los Angeles 12 Jun 1935. He studied at the Cons of the Moscow Philharmonic Society and privately with Anton Rubinstein.