Les pionniers de la musique classique d’Haïti

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Christ Church Cathedral and the SRDMH are proud to present a talk on Haitian music, Les pionniers de la musique classique d’Haïti. Musicologist Claude Dauphin will present an overview of the first national school of classical composers in Haiti, from 1905 to 2005. He will be accompanied by composer and pianist David Bontemps, who will present a musical illustration of this era. For his part, Jean-Claude Nazon, president of the Société de recherche et de diffusion de la musique haïtienne (SRDMH), will outline the history of the Society since its creation in 1975. Presented in the context of the Journées de la culture, the event will be held at Christ Church Cathedral, 635 Ste-Catherine West (McGill Metro), on Saturday, September 25 at 4 pm. Admission is free. All are welcome.

Claude Dauphin is a musicologist and professor emeritus at the Université du Québec à Montréal. He has published a dozen books and more than a hundred articles on the musicology of 18th century France, the musicology and ethnomusicology of Haiti, and on music education.

Composer and pianist David Bontemps was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and received most of his musical training from the renowned pianist-composer Serge Villedrouin. His discography as a solo pianist or as an accompanist, or as leader of the Creole jazz quintet Makaya, testifies to the variety of his influences and to the mixing and reworking of genres into a style all his own. His suite for cello and percussion Traces had its world premiere this year with the National Ballet of Canada, while his melodies were heard last May at the Tulsa Opera in Oklahoma. He is a recipient of several grants from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Canada Council for the Arts

Businessman and music lover, Jean-Claude Nazon has been president of the Société de recherche et de diffusion de la musique haïtienne (SRDMH) since 2014. Founded in 1975 by Claude Dauphin, musicologist, Robert Durand, composer, and Franck Fouché, playwright, the Society’s mission is to promote the research and dissemination of Haitian classical music and to bear witness to the Haitian ethno-musical heritage that continues to this day.

Participants: Claude Dauphin, David Bontemps and Jean-Claude Nazon
Place: Christ Church Cathedral, 635 St. Catherine West, Montreal (Métro McGill)
Time: Saturday, September 25th, at 4:00 p.m.
Price: Free and open to all
Contact : Nicholas Capozzoli, [email protected], (514) 843-6577, ext. 241 (messages)
Note: This event is in French.