Wilfrid Pelletier facts for kids
Wilfrid Pelletier (born June 20, 1896 – died April 9, 1982) was a very important Canadian musician. He was a conductor, pianist, composer, and also helped manage arts organizations. He played a huge role in starting the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and was its first artistic director and conductor from 1935 to 1941. He also worked for a long time at the famous Metropolitan Opera in New York City, mainly conducting French operas from 1929 to 1950. Later, from 1951 to 1966, he was the main conductor for the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec.
Pelletier was one of the most influential music teachers in Canada during the 1900s. Thanks to his efforts, the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du Québec (CMADQ) was created in 1942. This organization now runs nine different schools for music and theatre in Quebec. He was the director of the CMADQ and its first school, the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal, from 1943 to 1961. He also helped start other schools, like the Conservatoire d'art dramatique du Québec à Montréal.
As a pianist, Pelletier often played with Arthur Loesser in the 1920s and 1930s. They even made several recordings together. He also made solo recordings and piano rolls, mostly playing simplified versions of French operas. As a composer, he wrote a few pieces, including In the Dark, in the Dew. He was married three times, including to opera singers Queena Mario and Rose Bampton.
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Early Life and Music Start in Canada
Wilfrid Pelletier was born in Montreal. His father was a baker who also loved music and conducted a local band. Wilfrid started learning music at age 8 with Ida Héraly, who taught him piano and music theory until 1914. His older brother Albert taught him to play drums. By age 12, Wilfrid was playing drums in a band at a local movie theatre.
In 1910, when he was 14, Pelletier saw his first opera, Mignon. He was so amazed that he decided right then he wanted to conduct operas. He started working as a pianist for the orchestra at the National Theatre in Montreal. In 1911, he became a rehearsal pianist for the Montreal Opera Company (MOC) until it closed in 1913.
Losing his job made Pelletier think about his future in Canada. He decided he needed to go to Europe to study more. Since he didn't have enough money, he continued his studies in Montreal with teachers like Alexis Contant (for harmony and composition) and Alfred La Liberté (for piano). His teachers encouraged him to enter the Prix d'Europe competition, which he won in 1915. This win helped him get a grant from the Quebec government to study in Europe.
Studying and Working in Europe and the United States
In October 1916, Pelletier and his wife arrived in Paris, France, during World War I and a flu outbreak. They stayed until the war made them leave in June 1917. Even though he was there for only nine months, Pelletier learned a lot. He studied piano, harmony, and composition, and learned about French opera.
In July 1917, the Pelletiers moved to New York City. There, conductor Pierre Monteux introduced them to important people in the music world. This led to Wilfrid being hired at the Metropolitan Opera as a rehearsal pianist for French opera shows. He kept this job until 1922, when he became an assistant conductor. He also often played piano for the Met's Sunday concerts. During these early years, he became good friends with Arturo Toscanini, a famous conductor.
From 1919 to 1922, Pelletier also worked for the Scotti Opera Company. He conducted his first full opera performance, Il trovatore, on May 21, 1920. In 1922, he conducted operas for other companies and made his conducting debut at the Met during a Sunday Concert. On April 4, 1926, he conducted his first opera at the Met, Cavalleria rusticana. That same year, he became the Artistic Director for the Sunday Night Concert series.
On February 28, 1929, Pelletier was promoted to a regular conductor at the Met, a position he held until 1950. He conducted many important performances, including the first Met shows of several ballets and operas. He also helped start the 'Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air' competition in 1936, which helped new singers. His last performance at the Met was on May 15, 1950, conducting Faust.
In the 1940s, Pelletier made several opera recordings with artists from the Metropolitan Opera. These were shorter versions of popular operas like Aida, La Bohème, and Carmen. In 1938, he even appeared in a movie called The Big Broadcast of 1938, conducting singer Kirsten Flagstad.
The Montreal Symphony Orchestra
In the early 1930s, a Canadian businessman named Jean Lallemand asked Pelletier to help start a new orchestra in Montreal. At first, Pelletier wasn't sure, as he had some doubts about the arts in Canada. But his father reminded him to be proud of his country and help it. So, Pelletier returned to Montreal and began to create what would become the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (MSO).
The MSO gave its first concert in January 1935. On November 16, 1935, the orchestra performed the first of many Matinées symphoniques pour la jeunesse (Young People's Concerts), which was Pelletier's idea. In 1936, he started the Montreal Festivals, which included summer concerts by the MSO and other Canadian musicians. The festival continued for many years, even after Pelletier left the MSO in 1941. He returned to conduct the festival's last performance in 1965.
The Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du Québec
Pelletier was chosen as the first director of the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du Québec and its first school, the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal (CMQM), in 1943. Before this, Canadian composer Claude Champagne had written a big report on music education. This report looked at music schools in Europe and Canada. Soon, plans were made to create a network of government-supported schools, similar to the famous Conservatoire de Paris. On May 29, 1942, a law was passed that set aside $30,000 to start the conservatoire.
Pelletier and Champagne, who became the assistant director, worked hard to find amazing teachers from all over the world. The CMQM opened in January 1943. Under their leadership, the school became known for its excellent education. In 1956, they moved the school to better buildings. Pelletier was director for 18 years, until Roland Leduc took over in 1961. He also served as the first director of the CMDAQ's second school, the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Québec, from 1944 to 1946.
The Orchestre Symphonique de Québec and Later Life
Pelletier and his wife decided to leave the Metropolitan Opera in 1950. This change gave Pelletier more time, and he accepted an offer to become the artistic director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec. He started this job in June 1951 and stayed for 15 years. During that time, he also conducted the Children's Concerts for the New York Philharmonic and tours for the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.
Pelletier stopped performing in the early 1970s and lived with his wife in New York City. He passed away in Wayne, Pennsylvania in 1982. His memories were published in a book called Une symphonie inachevée ten years before he died.
Honours and Recognition
Wilfrid Pelletier received many awards and honours for his contributions to music:
- In 1936, he received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Université de Montréal.
- In 1946, he was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.
- In 1952, he received another honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Université Laval.
- In 1953, he received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the University of Alberta.
- In 1958, a street in Montreal was named after him, along with a primary school.
- In 1959, he received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the New York College of Music.
- In 1960, he received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Hobart College.
- In 1965, a music school in Montreal was named after him.
- In 1966, he received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Ottawa University.
- In 1966, the Place des Arts' Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, which is the largest concert hall in Canada, was named in his honour.
- In 1967, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, one of Canada's highest honours.
- In 1968, he received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from McGill University.
- In 1978, he received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Université du Québec.
- In 1983, the Wilfrid Pelletier Foundation was created. This group gives money to talented students from the Conservatoire de musique du Québec.
- In 1984, a bronze statue of Pelletier was made by sculptor Arto Tchakmaktchian and is displayed at the Place des Arts.
- In 2002, he was recognized as a MasterWorks honouree by the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada.
See also
In Spanish: Wilfrid Pelletier para niños
