Linda Bouchard facts for kids

Linda Bouchard (born 21 May 1957) is a talented Canadian composer and conductor. A composer writes music, and a conductor leads musical groups like orchestras. She also teaches music and helps produce new artistic projects.

About Linda Bouchard

Linda Bouchard was born and grew up in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She loved music from a young age.

Her Education and Influences

Linda studied music at Bennington College in Vermont, getting her first degree in 1979. Then, she earned a master's degree in composition from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City in 1982. She learned from many great teachers, including Ransom Wilson and Sue Ann Kahn for flute, and David Gilbert and Arthur Weisberg for conducting. For composing, she studied with Elias Tanenbaum, Ursula Mamlock, and Henry Brant.

Henry Brant was a very important teacher for Linda. He inspired her to try new things in music. She likes to experiment with where musicians stand on stage, which can make the music sound different and exciting. Her music is known for exploring unique sounds (called timbral explorations) and having sudden, powerful bursts of sound (like percussive explosions).

Her Time in New York and Canada

Linda moved to the U.S. in 1977 to study with Henry Brant. She lived in New York City from 1979 to 1990. During this time, she wrote music and led groups that played new kinds of music. She also created orchestral arrangements for places like The Washington Ballet. From 1985 to 1988, she was an Assistant Conductor for the New York Children's Free Opera. She also guest-conducted other groups, including the Orchestra of St. Luke's.

In 1991, Linda returned to Montreal. Her composition "Elan" was performed for the first time by l’Orchestre Métropolitain. From 1992 to 1995, she was the composer-in-residence with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. This meant she worked closely with the orchestra, writing music for them.

Awards and Moving to San Francisco

In 1997, Linda moved to San Francisco, where she lives now with her family. She has received many awards for her music. In 1999, she won "Composer of the Year" from le Conseil Québecois de la Culture and the Joseph S. Stauffer Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts. Her works have also won five PROCAN and SOCAN awards. In the U.S., she won first prizes from the Princeton Composition Contest and the Indiana State Competition, among others. She also received an award from Harvard University.

New Projects and Teaching

In 2005, Linda started a non-profit arts group called New Experimental Music, Art and Production (NEXMAP). This group explores how traditional art and new technologies can work together. She was the artistic director until 2015. That same year, she received an award at the Banff Center and was invited to teach in their Music Workshop Program. She was also a visiting professor at UC Berkeley in 2016.

Linda has worked on many interesting projects that combine different art forms. One project is "All Caps No Space," which has been performed in San Francisco, Vancouver, and The Banff Centre. She also wrote music for Detour Inc., a company that creates unique audio tours. Her music is used for architecture tours in San Francisco, Berlin, and London.

In 2017, Linda received a special grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to "Research and Create." Her project, called "Live Structures," will involve working with other artists and researchers over two years.

Selected Musical Works

Linda Bouchard has written many different types of musical pieces. Here are some of them:

Theatrical Works

These are pieces meant to be performed on a stage, often with a story or acting.

• The House of Words (2003), an opera
• Minotaurus (1988), a story piece
• Mr. Link (1993), music theatre for children
• Musique Défilé Fashion Show for the End of a Century (1999), a theatrical fashion show
• Triskelion (1982), an opera
• Identity Theft(2017), a dance theatre performance
• Murderous Little World (2012), music theatre

Vocal Music

These pieces are written for singers.

• Black Burned Wood (1990), a song
• Ocamow (1993), a group of songs
• Pilgrims' Cantata (1996), a cantata (a piece for voices and instruments)
• Risky (1993), a song
• Songs for an Acrobat (1995), lieder (German art songs)
• A Through Line (2012), a song
• Ice(1999-2014), a song

Orchestral Music

These are pieces written for a large group of musicians, an orchestra.

• Booming Sands, Viola Concerto (1998)
• Élan (1990)
• Eternity (1996)
• Exquisite Fires (1993)
• Fanorev (1986)
• Fashion Show (1999)
• The Open Life (2000)
• Ressac (1991)
• Vertige (1994)
• Réfraction (2015)
• Flocking for Orchestra (2018)
• L'automne (2007)

Large Chamber Ensemble

These pieces are for a smaller group of musicians than an orchestra, but still more than just a few.

• Brasier (2001)
• Compressions (1996)
• Frisson, La Vie, Duo Concertante for flute, viola and strings (1992)
• Ire (1992)
• Neiges (2002)
• Oracles (1997)
• Reveling of Men (1988)
• Second Survival (2009-2016)
• Lend Me Wings (2016)
• THe Dog Ate (2011)
• Joint Venture (2008)
• L'échappée d'ailes (2004)

Chamber Music

These pieces are for a small group of musicians, usually from two to ten players.

• Amuser Le Temps (1989)
• Circus Faces (1983)
• Icy Cruise (1984)
• Delicate Contract (1988)
• Ductwork (1997)
• Le Scandale (1989)
• Le Scandale II (2002)
• Muskoday (1988)
• Pourtinade for viola and percussion (1983)
• Propos II (1985)
• Propos III (1984)
• Propos IV (1984)
• Propos Nouveaux (1988)
• Pulsing Flight (1985)
• Reciproque (1994)
• Sept Couleurs (1994)
• Swift Silver (1989)
• Tossing Diamonds (1983)
• Transi-Blanc (1987)
• Transi-Blanc (revised – 1987)
• Phare Far(2014)
• Liquid Sates (2004)

String Quartet

These pieces are specifically for four string instruments, usually two violins, a viola, and a cello.

• Lung Ta (1992)
• Stormy Light (1982)
• Traces (1996)

Solo Works

These are pieces written for a single instrument or performer.

• Glances (1980)
• Propos (1983)
• Tokpela (1989)
• Orchid (2015)
• Bref (2014)
• Gassho (2011)
• Glances (1980)