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The Conservatoire de musique de Montréal will be celebrating its 80th year in 2023. To mark the occasion, Manager Manon Lafrance reflects on the Conservatoire’s main missions since its inception, its vital contribution to the professional field, and its openness to each strong current at the production stage. Lafrance also explores the consistent elements that have made the Conservatoire a pillar of music education.
Remarkable careers
Many musicians have travelled around the world and earned a decent living partly thanks to the Conservatoire. Among these musicians, is a famous conductor who has lived in London, England, and Rotterdam, Netherlands. Nowadays, he shines at the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. “Yannick Nézet-Séguin wears the Conservatoire on his sleeve. Every now and then, he comes back to the Conservatoire to conduct our orchestra. Pianist Louis Lortie also comes back to us occasionally, he hosted a masterclass about two years ago. Other musicians among us contribute to the Conservatoire in many ways—some of them teach here. There is still lots of movement within the Conservatoire walls,” said Lafrance, a former Conservatoire student herself.
Lafrance’s career path is a classic example, so to speak. When she was 13, in 1978, she started her trumpet studies at the Conservatoire, where she pursued all her studies until she was 21. “Fortunately, I came to a school like the Conservatoire where I studied with wonderful teachers such as Nick Ayoub (1926–1991) in jazz,” she said. “Were it not for these teachers, I probably would not have pursued a career. Students acquire the rudiments of music education, but nobody knows if they will follow their dreams. Even I had no idea I could make a living with music education. When I was 17, I became a professional musician at Orchestre symphonique de Montréal under the baton of Charles Dutoit.” After pursuing an international career as a trumpeter, Lafrance came back to her alma mater to become a teacher and begin a longtime career with the Conservatoire. Twenty-five years later, she is now the manager. “This is my 12th year as Conservatoire manager,” she said.
An educational and cultural venue
Excellence in music education at the Conservatoire has been achieved through a succession of students and teachers. Everyone is well aware of Bruce Liu’s success, the young pianist who graduated from Richard Raymond’s class in 2018 and won first prize at the prestigious Chopin Competition three years later. Excellence has remained untouched in times of trials and vicissitudes of life. “Our education is unique. As children, they will be guided by professionals who provide them with teaching that will give them the tools to become professional musiciansthemselves. These aspiring musicians receive a high-quality education and are shown how to work effectively,” said Lafrance.
The pandemic and digital shift have not changed the Conservatoire’s deep-rooted culture at all. “The most crucial detail for us lies in providing specialized vocal and instrumental classes in person. We think the teacher-student relationship is essential; it must take place in a classroom. Many aspects cannot be addressed remotely.”
The Conservatoire stands for academic activities and concerts, of course. “We plan about 100 events per year; in real time, however, we have about 400. These events include group classes, workshops, and conventions. We are fortunate to have nice rooms, a wonderful concert hall with a Steinway piano from Hamburg, and an adjacent hall with a Steinway piano from New York. We also have nice studios for symphonic and chamber music.”
A celebration of music
Of the many Conservatoire events, the 80th-anniversary concert will take place at Maison symphonique on March 30, 2024. Jean-Marie Zeitouni will conduct the Orchestre symphonique and Chœur du Conservatoire along with soprano Karina Gauvin, both renowned Conservatoire graduates. The Chœur des jeunes de Laval as well as Ensembles Gaïa and Phœbus will be part of the concert, too. The program will feature Funeral Song by Stravinsky, Stabat Mater by Poulenc, a composition by Florence Tremblay, one of the Conservatoire students in Nicolas Gilbert’s class, and Cantate pour une joie by Pierre Mercure.
“The Conservatoire was the first cultural institution the Quebec government acquired in 1942. The past has proved excellence at the Conservatoire, whereas the present shows the quality of our students on professional stages, whether they are in an orchestra, in a chamber music setting, or a soloist, composer, or in an opera production. The present is crucial for training current and upcoming professional musicians,” said Lafrance.
Key dates in the Conservatoire’s history
- 1942 : Act respecting the Conservatoire de musique et d’art dramatique du Québec
- 1943 : Conservatoire de musique de Montréal opened
- 1961 : Ministère des Affaires culturelles, responsible for the Conservatoire, was formed
- 1988 : Signed agreement between the Conservatoire and Université du Québec encouraged students to take courses in both institutions
- 1994 : Act respecting the Conservatoire was reviewed and adopted to be a legal entity and have a board
- 1999 : The Conservatoire became an AEC (Association européenne des Conservatoires, Académies de musique et Musikhocheschulen) affiliated member
- 2007 : The Fédération des associations d’élèves du Conservatoire de musique et d’art dramatique du Québec was created
- 2008 : Act respecting the Conservatoire permitted the Conservatoire to award degrees, diplomas, certificates, or other attestations of university studies
- 2009 : The Conservatoire provided bachelor’s and master’s degrees for music students
Translation by Dwain Richardson
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