François Brassard

François Brassard, born on October sixth, nineteen oh eight, was a distinguished Canadian composer, musicologist, and ethnomusicologist. His early musical education included piano lessons with Rolland-Georges Gingras, organ studies under Omer Létourneau, and harmony with Robert Talbot. In nineteen thirty, he became a scholarship student at the Académie de musique du Québec, where he studied under notable figures such as Léo-Pol Morin and Claude Champagne in Montreal.

Brassard's pursuit of musical excellence took him to Europe, where he completed his training in nineteen thirty-four in Paris with Albert Bertelin and Guy de Lioncourt. He further honed his skills at London's Royal College of Music in nineteen thirty-five, studying with the renowned Ralph Vaughan Williams. His career as an organist spanned four decades, from nineteen thirty to nineteen seventy, at the Church of Saint-Dominique in Jonquière, Quebec.

Beginning in nineteen forty, Brassard embarked on an extensive journey across Canada, collecting over one thousand two hundred French-Canadian folksongs. His dedication to preserving and promoting this musical heritage led to the publication of numerous articles and essays, as well as arrangements that were featured in two series on CBC Radio. In nineteen forty-six, he began teaching at Université Laval, where he also contributed to the folklore archives, mentoring students including the talented composer Micheline Coulombe Saint-Marcoux.

Among his notable achievements, Brassard's composition 'Panis angelicus' won a prestigious prize in nineteen forty-two from the Société des musiciens d'église de la province de Québec. In recognition of his contributions to music and education, the concert hall of the Cégep de Jonquière was named Salle François Brassard in nineteen sixty-five, honoring his legacy in the Canadian music scene.