Clermont Pépin
Encyclopedia
Clermont Pépin, was a Canadian
pianist
, composer
and teacher.
He was born Jean Joseph Clermont Pépin in Saint-Georges
, Quebec
in 1926. Pépin studied with influential Canadian composers Claude Champagne
(Montreal) and Arnold Walter (Toronto), and at the Curtis Institute of Music
in Philadelphia from 1941 to 1944 with Rosario Scalero. In 1949 he won the Quebec
government study grant Prix d'Europe
as a pianist, which afforded him the opportunity to study several years in Paris
(1949-1955). During this time he studied composition with Arthur Honegger
and André Jolivet
, and analysis with Olivier Messiaen
at the same time as Pierre Boulez
, Karlheinz Stockhausen
, and Serge Garant
. Pépin taught at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal from 1955 to 1964 and later served as director from 1967 to 1973.
His pupils included François Dompierre, André Gagnon
, André Prévost, Jacques Hétu
, Silvio Palmieri and Micheline Coulombe Saint-Marcoux
. Pépin was best known for his String Quartets Nos. 3 and 4, his Symphonies Nos. 3 (Quasars), 4 (La messe sur le monde) and 5 (Implosion) and his ballets L'Oiseau-phénix and Le Porte-rêve. He was named to the Order of Canada
in 1981.
In 1985, he established the Concours de Musique Clermont-Pépin to encourage the development of artists from the Beauce
region of Quebec. In 1990, he was named an officer of the National Order of Quebec
.
He died of liver cancer
in 2006, aged 80.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and teacher.
He was born Jean Joseph Clermont Pépin in Saint-Georges
Saint-Georges, Quebec
Saint-Georges is a city in the province of Quebec. It is the seat of Beauce-Sartigan Regional County Municipality, part of the Chaudière-Appalaches region. The population was 30,113 as of 2009. Route 173 runs through Saint-Georges Est and heads south to the border with Maine, USA...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
in 1926. Pépin studied with influential Canadian composers Claude Champagne
Claude Champagne
Claude Champagne was a Canadian composer.Born in Montreal, Quebec, he studied violin with Albert Chamberland, organ with Orpha-F. Deveaux, and piano with Romain-Octave Pelletier I and Alexis Contant at the Conservatoire national de musique. In 1921 he went straight to Paris to study music...
(Montreal) and Arnold Walter (Toronto), and at the Curtis Institute of Music
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...
in Philadelphia from 1941 to 1944 with Rosario Scalero. In 1949 he won the Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
government study grant Prix d'Europe
Prix d'Europe
The Prix d'Europe is a prestigious Canadian study grant that is funded by the Ministère des Affaires culturelles du Québec of the Government of Quebec. Established in 1911, the award has been distributed annually to a single individual through competition with the exception of 1960-1973 and 2009...
as a pianist, which afforded him the opportunity to study several years in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(1949-1955). During this time he studied composition with Arthur Honegger
Arthur Honegger
Arthur Honegger was a Swiss composer, who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. He was a member of Les six. His most frequently performed work is probably the orchestral work Pacific 231, which is interpreted as imitating the sound of a steam locomotive.-Biography:Born...
and André Jolivet
André Jolivet
André Jolivet was a French composer. Known for his devotion to French culture and musical thought, Jolivet's music draws on his interest in acoustics and atonality as well as both ancient and modern influences in music, particularly on instruments used in ancient times...
, and analysis with Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
at the same time as Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez is a French composer of contemporary classical music, a pianist, and a conductor.-Early years:Boulez was born in Montbrison, Loire, France. As a child he began piano lessons and demonstrated aptitude in both music and mathematics...
, Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
, and Serge Garant
Serge Garant
Serge Garant, OC was a Canadian composer, conductor, professor of music at the University of Montreal and radio host of Musique de notre siècle on Radio-Canada. In 1966 he cofounded with Jean Papineau-Couture, Maryvonne Kendergi, Wilfrid Pelletier and Hugh Davidson the Société de musique...
. Pépin taught at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal from 1955 to 1964 and later served as director from 1967 to 1973.
His pupils included François Dompierre, André Gagnon
André Gagnon
André Gagnon, OC is a Canadian musician and composer. He shifted from a classical musical style to an adult contemporary style in the mid-1970s with albums such as Neiges....
, André Prévost, Jacques Hétu
Jacques Hétu
Jacques Hétu, OC was a Canadian composer and music educator from Trois-Rivières, Quebec. He was nominated for a 1989 Juno Award in the Best Classical Composition category...
, Silvio Palmieri and Micheline Coulombe Saint-Marcoux
Micheline Coulombe Saint-Marcoux
Micheline Coulombe Saint-Marcoux was a Canadian composer and music educator who played an important role in the contemporary classical music scene of Canada and France from the late 1960s through the mid 1980s...
. Pépin was best known for his String Quartets Nos. 3 and 4, his Symphonies Nos. 3 (Quasars), 4 (La messe sur le monde) and 5 (Implosion) and his ballets L'Oiseau-phénix and Le Porte-rêve. He was named to the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 1981.
In 1985, he established the Concours de Musique Clermont-Pépin to encourage the development of artists from the Beauce
Beauce, Quebec
Beauce is a historical and traditional region of Quebec located south of Quebec City. It corresponds approximately to the regional county municipalities of Beauce-Sartigan, Robert-Cliche and La Nouvelle-Beauce, and its major communities are Saint-Georges, Sainte-Marie, Beauceville,...
region of Quebec. In 1990, he was named an officer of the National Order of Quebec
National Order of Quebec
The National Order of Quebec, termed officially in French as l'Ordre national du Québec, and in English abbreviation as the Order of Quebec, is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Quebec...
.
He died of liver cancer
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer. Most cases of HCC are secondary to either a viral hepatitide infection or cirrhosis .Compared to other cancers, HCC is quite a rare tumor in the United States...
in 2006, aged 80.
Honors
- 1949 - Prix d'EuropePrix d'EuropeThe Prix d'Europe is a prestigious Canadian study grant that is funded by the Ministère des Affaires culturelles du Québec of the Government of Quebec. Established in 1911, the award has been distributed annually to a single individual through competition with the exception of 1960-1973 and 2009...
- 1952 - Prix du Centenaire de l'Université Laval
- 1955 - Prix international de composition de Radio-Luxembourg
- 1970 - Prix Calixa-Lavallée
- 1970 - Bene merenti de patriaBene merenti de patriaBene merenti de patria is a silver medal created in 1923. It is awarded by the Quebec patriotic Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society to a "compatriot having rendered exceptional services to the homeland".- Laureates :*1924: Marie Lacoste Gérin-Lajoie...
- 1981 - Officer of the Order of Canada
- 1990 - Officer of the National Order of Quebec
External links
- Clermont Pépin at the Canadian Encyclopedia
- Death notice in Playbill Arts