Search for "New France"

Mavis Leslie Gallant, CC, writer (born 11 August 1922 in Montréal, QC; died 18 February 2014 in Paris, France). In 1950, 28-year-old Montréal native Mavis Gallant decided to do something that many, many before and after her have done.

Francis Mankiewicz, filmmaker (b at Shanghai, China 15 Mar 1944; d at Montréal, Qué 14 Oct 1993). His parents fled Nazi Germany, landing in France, then China and Montréal. He studied film in England at the

Jean Belland. Cellist, teacher, b Le Mans, France, 16 Jun 1895, d Montreal 7 Jan 1965; premier prix cello (Cons du Mans) 1911, premier prix cello (Paris Cons). After studies in his native city, he entered the Paris Cons in 1914.

Paul-Émile Borduas, painter (b at St-Hilaire, Qué 1 Nov 1905; d at Paris, France 22 Feb 1960). Leader of the Automatistes and main author of the manifesto Refus Global, he had a profound influence on art in Québec.

Walter (Wladislaw or Wladyslaw) Eiger. Pianist, composer, arranger, conductor, teacher, b Lodz, Poland, 6 Feb 1917, naturalized Canadian ca 1955. Eiger received his musical training in France, at the University of Grenoble and the École normale de musique in Paris.

Brother Raymondien (b Auguste Schuller). Organist, composer, educator, essayist, b Brunstadt, a suburb of Mulhouse, Alsace, 6 Oct 1882, d Croix, northern France, 24 Aug 1947. He studied with the Christian Brothers of Belfort and entered their community in 1895.

Ermanno Florio. Conductor, violinist, b Carapelle, Italy, 29 Mar 1954; B MUS (Toronto) 1977. Ermanno Florio moved to Canada with his family at 2. He then studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music 1966-73, and played violin in the National Youth Orchestra and the Canadian Chamber Orchestra.

Alarie won the 'Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air' in 1945 and made her Metropolitan Opera debut 8 Dec 1945 as Oscar in Un Ballo in Maschera under Bruno Walter; in January she sang Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann with Raoul Jobin, conducted by Wilfrid Pelletier.

Robert Charlebois. Singer, actor, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, b Montreal 25 Jun 1944. After studying piano for six years and acting 1962-5 at the National Theatre School in Montreal, Robert Charlebois divided his early career between music and theatre.

Jacques Israelievitch, CM, violinist, violist, conductor, teacher (born 6 May 1948 in Cannes, France; died 5 September 2015 in Toronto, Ontario). Violinist Jacques Israelievitch was renowned internationally for his versatility, sensitivity and virtuosic technical ability. After studying in Paris and playing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony, Israelievitch became the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s longest-serving concertmaster (1998 to 2008). A supporter of contemporary music and Canadian composers, he made more than 100 recordings and performed often with noted orchestras and in chamber ensembles worldwide. He was made a Member of the Order of Canada and an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters in France.

Thérèse Deniset. Soprano, teacher, b St Boniface, Man, 11 Apr 1914. After studies in Montreal with Salvator Issaurel she made her debut on radio in the 1937-8 season, then moved to the south of France to study with Ninon Vallin, remaining with the famous soprano and teacher during the war years.

Joseph-Edmond-André Laurendeau was a French Canadian journalist, politician, playwright, and co-chairman of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (born 21 March 1912 in Montreal; died 1 June 1968 in Ottawa). A lifetime French-Canadian nationalist, he helped prepare the way for Quebec's Quiet Revolution by redefining nationalist aspirations for an urban and industrial society.

In 1989 Saint-Pierre became the first Québec designer to participate at the Fashion Coterie of New York. Three years later she presented her collection in Singapore.

Louis Muhlstock, painter (b at Narajow, Poland 23 Apr 1904, d at Montréal 26 Aug 2001), best known as a painter of the Depression. Muhlstock came to Montréal in 1911 and worked for his family's fruit-importing firm.

Marie (b Georgina) Toulinguet (b Stirling). Soprano, b Twillingate, Nfld, 3 Apr 1867, d there 21 Apr 1935.

Adrienne ('Yohadio') Roy-Vilandré (b Roy, m Vilandré). Soprano, folklorist, b Lévis, near Quebec City, Que, 13 Feb 1893, d Montreal 23 Oct 1978. After taking voice lessons in Quebec City with Isa Jeynevald-Mercier, Victor Occelier, and Berthe Roy she made her debut at the Club musical de Québec.

Tony (Giuseppe Alexander Antonio) Romandini,. Guitarist, composer, arranger, teacher, b Montreal 27 Jul 1928. He studied guitar 1937-40 with a teacher named Calabrese in New York and at 15 played with Maynard Ferguson in Montreal.

Jean-Pierre Ferland, author, composer, performer and television host (b Montréal 24 June 1934). Jean-Pierre Ferland started with the Les Bozos singing group in 1959, and then he broke out in 1962 by winning first prize in a Francophonie contest with Feuille de gui.

Réjane Cardinal. Mezzo-soprano, (Montreal 25 Dec 1926 - Montreal, June 11, 2000). She took private lessons from Roger Filiatrault (1941-43) and then studied with him for five years at the École supérieure de musique d'Outremont (École Vincent-d'Indy).

Monique Leyrac (b Tremblay). Singer, actress, b Montreal 26 Feb 1928. She studied drama with Jeanne Maubourg and in 1943 took the role of Bernadette in Franz Werfel's Le Chant de Bernadette on radio station CKAC's 'Radio-théâtre Lux'.