Jean Vallerand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Vallerand
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Vallerand in 1932
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| Born | December 24, 1915 |
| Died | June 24, 1994 (aged 78) |
| Occupation | Composer, educator |
Jean Vallerand (born December 24, 1915 – died June 24, 1994) was a very talented person from Quebec, Canada. He was many things: a composer (someone who writes music), a music critic (someone who reviews music), a violinist, a conductor (who leads an orchestra), and a music teacher. He also helped manage arts organizations.
Jean Vallerand wrote music from 1935 to 1969. He was recognized for his important work in music. In 1991, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec, which is a special award.
Contents
Jean Vallerand's Life Journey
Early Life and Music Studies
Jean Vallerand was born in Montreal, Quebec. He started playing the violin when he was just five years old. His teacher was Lucien Sicotte, and Jean studied with him until he was 20.
In 1934, he went to the Université de Montréal. There, he studied classical literature, which is about old stories and writings. He earned his diploma in 1938. While at university, he also took private lessons in music theory and composition. His music teacher was Claude Champagne, from 1935 to 1942.
A Voice for Music: His Work as a Critic
Jean Vallerand began his career as a music critic in 1941. He wrote reviews for a Montreal newspaper called Le Canada. He stayed there until 1946.
After that, he wrote for several other newspapers. These included Montréal-Matin (from 1948 to 1949) and Le Devoir (from 1952 to 1961). He also wrote for Le Nouveau Journal (1961–1962) and La Presse (1962–1966).
Besides newspapers, he reviewed cultural events for CBC Radio and CBC Television. This was during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. He also wrote articles for many different magazines and journals. For many years, he wrote notes for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra's programs. He also hosted the French radio broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera.
Teaching and Leading Music Organizations
In 1942, Jean Vallerand became the Secretary General of a new music school. This school was the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal (CMQM). He was appointed by Wilfrid Pelletier.
He stayed in that important role and taught orchestration (how to arrange music for an orchestra) until 1963. At the same time, he also taught music at the Université de Montréal from 1950 to 1966.
From 1963 to 1965, he was the head of the Montreal branch of CBC Radio. Then, from 1966 to 1970, he worked for the Quebec Government in Paris, France. He was a cultural attaché, which means he helped share Quebec's culture there.
In 1971, Vallerand became the head of the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du Québec (CMADQ). This organization looked after eight music and theatre schools in Quebec. He led this group until 1978. During his time, he helped start a ninth school, the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Rimouski, in 1973.
He also worked as the director of music education for the Ministère des Affaires culturelles du Québec (MACQ) in 1971. Later, he became the director of performing arts for the same organization from 1971 to 1975. In 1977 and 1978, he was the secretary general of the Orchestre des jeunes du Québec (Quebec Youth Orchestra). He also advised the CMQM and MACQ throughout the 1970s. Jean Vallerand retired in 1980.
Selected Musical Works
Jean Vallerand composed many pieces of music. Here are some of his notable works:
- Les Roses à la mer (The Roses at Sea), 1935
- Le Diable dans le beffroi (The Devil in the Belfry), 1942
- Nocturne, 1946
- Prélude, 1948
- Sonata for Violin and Piano, 1950
- Concerto for Orchestra, 1951
- Quatre Poèmes de Saint-Denys Garneau (Four Poems by Saint-Denys Garneau), 1954
- String Quartet, 1955
- Réverbérations contractoires, 1961
- Le Magicien (The Magician), an opera, 1961
- Payse, a ballet, 1964
- Étude concertante for Violin and Orchestra, 1969
