51勛圖厙

Marie-Chantal Leclair

Academic title(s): 

Assistant Professor

Marie-Chantal Leclair
Department: 
Music Performance
Area(s): 
Woodwind
Contact Information
Email address: 
marie-chantal.leclair [at] mcgill.ca
Instrument(s): 
Saxophone
Group: 
Faculty
Biography: 

Marie-Chantal Leclair is a passionate musician who is actively involved in fostering recognition and development of the saxophone. A versatile musician, she continues to dedicate considerable portions of her time and energy to new music. Contemporary and electronic music; improvisation; new and experimental instruments all are frontiers she eagerly explores. In recognition of her exceptional contribution to Canadian music, in 2009 the Canadian Music Centre awarded her the title of CMC Ambassador.泭

As a member of the Quasar saxophone quartet, and its Artistic Director since the ensemble's inception in 1994, she has given concerts in Canada, the United States, and ten countries across Europe with more than one hundred works premiered in performance to date. Additionally, she has initiated numerous unique projects spanning a diverse spectrum of musical styles and forms. Over the course of the quartet's twenty years of activity, Marie-Chantal has worked in close collaboration with esteemed composers from Canada and abroad, including Klas Torstensson, Louis Andriessen, Philippe Leroux and Jean-Fran癟ois Laporte. Quasar has been awarded OPUS prizes, including Performer of the Year, on five occasions, and the group has held the honoured title of guest soloist with both the Montreal and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestras. Quasar concerts are broadcast regularly on Radio-Canada, the CBC and radio stations in Europe.

Marie-Chantal Leclair is often invited to perform with other groups, from ensembles to orchestras, 泭interpreting classic pieces of the saxophone repertoire (Debussy, Villa-Lobos, Milhaud etc.) as well as newly commissioned works. She has performed recently as invited soloist with Montreal's Orchestre m矇tropolitain and Orchestre Appassionata, and with the Soci矇t矇 de musique contemporaine du Qu矇bec. She is also known for her noteworthy performances on lorgue de sir癡nes, an instrument created by composer Jean-Fran癟ois Laporte.

A highly regarded instructor, Marie-Chantal Leclair has held Master Classes and conferences across Canada, at most of the country's leading university music programs, and in Europe, most notably at the Conservatory of Bordeaux and the Conservatory of Lucerne. She holds a Master's Degree in Performance from the University of Montreal and furthered her studies in improvisation with New York flautist Robert Dick.泭

Marie-Chantal Leclair is Vice-President of the Le Vivier group, whose thirty members are organizations from Quebec dedicated to exploring and promoting the innumerable facets of new music. As well, she has served on a great number of juries, and for several years was a member of the Conseil qu矇b矇cois de la musique's administrative board.泭

_______________________

Marie-Chantal Leclair est une musicienne passionn矇e uvrant la reconnaissance et au d矇veloppement du saxophone. Musicienne polyvalente, elle consacre n矇anmoins une part importante de son temps aux musiques nouvelles. Musique contemporaine, 矇lectronique, improvis矇e, nouvelles lutheries, elle est de toutes les aventures. En 2009, le Centre de musique canadienne reconnaissait sa contribution exceptionnelle au d矇veloppement de la musique canadienne en lui d矇cernant le titre Ambassadrice du CMC.

Au sein du quatuor de saxophones Quasar dont elle est directrice artistique, depuis sa fondation en 1994, elle a donn矇 de nombreux concerts travers tout le Canada, aux tats-Unis ainsi que dans une dizaine de pays dEurope. Elle a cr矇矇 plus de 100 uvres et mis sur pieds des projets couvrant diff矇rents domaines de cr矇ation musicale. Elle a travaill矇 en 矇troite collaboration avec des compositeurs canadiens et 矇trangers tels Klas Torstensson, Louis Andriessen, Philippe Leroux et Jean-Fran癟ois Laporte. Laur矇at de 5 prix OPUS, dont le prix 竄 interpr癡te de lann矇e 罈, Quasar sest 矇galement illustr矇 titre de soliste avec les orchestres symphoniques de Montr矇al et de Winnipeg. Les concerts de Quasar sont r矇guli癡rement diffus矇s par la radio de Radio-Canada, la CBC et des radios europ矇ennes.

Marie-Chantal Leclair est aussi r矇guli癡rement invit矇e jouer avec dautres formations de lensemble de musique de chambre lorchestre interpr矇tant tant des 竄 classiques 罈 du r矇pertoire pour saxophone (Debussy, Villa-Lobos, Milhaud etc.) que des cr矇ations. Elle fut r矇cemment soliste invit矇e de lOrchestre m矇tropolitain, de lOrchestre Appassionata et de la Soci矇t矇 de musique contemporaine du Qu矇bec. Elle fait 矇galement des performances remarqu矇es lorgue de sir癡nes, un instrument cr矇矇 par le compositeur Jean-Fran癟ois Laporte.泭

P矇dagogue appr矇ci矇e, Marie-Chantal Leclair a donn矇 des classes de ma簾tre et des conf矇rences dans la plupart des grandes universit矇s travers le Canada ainsi quen Europe, notamment au Conservatoire de Bordeaux et au Conservatoire de Lucerne. Elle d矇tient une ma簾trise en interpr矇tation de lUniversit矇 de Montr矇al et sest perfectionn矇 en improvisation aupr癡s du flutiste new-yorkais Robert Dick.泭

Marie-Chantal Leclair est vice-pr矇sidente du groupe Le Vivier qui regroupe une trentaine dorganismes qu矇b矇cois d矇di矇s aux nouvelles musiques. Elle a 矇galement si矇g矇 sur le conseil dadministration du Conseil qu矇b矇cois de la musique plusieurs ann矇es et particip矇 diff矇rents jurys.泭

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