Music patron André Bourbeau dies at 81

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Montréal, Monday, March 26, 2018 – André Bourbeau, president and co-founder of the CMIM (Concours musical international the Montréal), passed away peacefully Sunday morning. André Bourbeau was president of the CMIM, its foundation and its international jury since 2002.

During his lifetime, André Bourbeau spearheaded a variety of projects namely the establishment of the Vocal Arts Fund, the renovation of the Jeunesses Musicales Canada House, which today bears his name, as well as the creation – with long-time friend and colleague Joseph Rouleau – of the Concours musical international de Montréal, which he successfully positioned as one of the top international competitions on the world stage.

“His presence and generosity were immeasurable especially when it came to creating and maintaining platforms aimed to support emerging artists and advance musical talent from Québec. A businessman, philanthropist, and music lover, André devoted much of his life to supporting young musicians here and around the world. He was a role model for all of us, encouraging and supportive to the end, and we will honor him by continuing his life’s work,” said Christiane LeBlanc, Executive and Artistic director of the CMIM.

Born in Verdun in 1936, André Bourbeau earned his Bachelor’s degree from Université de Sherbrooke in 1955, and a Law degree from McGill University in 1959, before being admitted to the Chamber of Notaries of Québec in 1960. A businessman and experienced politician, André Bourbeau held numerous senior management positions, including that of mayor of St-Lambert. A notary until 1981, he played an active role in the real estate sector. A well-known figure in Quebec politics, he represented the electoral riding of Laporte in the National Assembly from 1981 to 2003, during which time he held a number of key cabinet posts: under the Government of Robert Bourassa (1985 – 1993), he served as Minister of Municipal Affairs, Responsible for Housing, Minister of Manpower, Income Security and Vocational Training; under the Government of Daniel Johnson (1994), he served as Québec Minister of Finance. Mr. Bourbeau was the Chairman of the Board at Hydro-Québec from 2003 to 2005. From 1999 to 2002, he served as Chairman of the Wilfrid Pelletier Foundation. He was Chairman of the Jeunesses Musicales Canada (JMC) Foundation from 1997 to 2015. André Bourbeau was named an officer of the Order of Canada in 2017 and a Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Québec in 2009. He was also awarded the Arts-Business Personality Prize from the Conseil des arts de Montréal in 2015.

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ABOUT THE CMIM
The mission of the CMIM (Concours musical international de Montréal) is to discover and support exceptional young singers, violinists and pianists from around the world while raising awareness for classical music. The CMIM is the only international competition in North America to be held annually, presenting three disciplines in a three-year rotation. Since its first edition dedicated to voice in 2002, 3,350 hopefuls have entered the competition and some 450 have performed in Montreal.More details at: concoursmontreal.ca
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @CMIMontreal

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