Denis Gougeon
Encyclopedia
Denis Gougeon is a Canadian
composer
and music educator. His more than 80 compositions encompass a wide variety of genres, including orchestra
l works, chamber music
, opera
, ballet
, and pieces for solo instruments and voice. Notable ensembles to have included his compositions in their performance repertoire include the Bavarian State Ballet, the Canadian Opera Company
, the I Musici de Montréal Chamber Orchestra
, Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne
, New Music America
, the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet
, the Quebec Contemporary Music Society
, and the Vancouver New Music Society among others. In 1989 he became the first composer-in-residence of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
, holding that post until 1992.
Born in Granby, Quebec
, Gougeon began his career as a primarily self-taught composer. He later entered the Université de Montréal
(UM) where he studied music composition with Serge Garant
and André Prévost. From 1984-1988 he taught music composition at McGill University
. Since 2001 he has been a member of the music faculty at the UM. Among his notable pupils is composer Analia Llugdar
.
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...
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 music educator. His more than 80 compositions encompass a wide variety of genres, including orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l works, chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
, opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, and pieces for solo instruments and voice. Notable ensembles to have included his compositions in their performance repertoire include the Bavarian State Ballet, the Canadian Opera Company
Canadian Opera Company
The Canadian Opera Company is an opera company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest opera company in Canada and the third largest producer of opera in North America. The COC performs in its own opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.-History:For 40 years until...
, the I Musici de Montréal Chamber Orchestra
I Musici de Montréal Chamber Orchestra
I Musici de Montréal is a Canadian chamber orchestra.Founded by cellist and conductor Yuli Turovsky, I Musici de Montréal is a chamber orchestra of 15 musicians that performs a vast repertoire extending from the baroque to the contemporary. The orchestra presents a busy schedule of over 100...
, Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne
Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne
Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne , based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, is one of the world's premier chamber orchestras specializing in contemporary classical music...
, New Music America
New Music America
New Music America was an American festival of experimental or Downtown new music.The festival began at The Kitchen in New York City in 1979. In this first year, the festival was actually called New Music New York....
, the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet
Norwegian National Opera and Ballet
The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet is the first fully professional company for opera and ballet in Norway. Its seat is the Oslo Opera House.It was founded in 1957...
, the Quebec Contemporary Music Society
Quebec Contemporary Music Society
The Quebec Contemporary Music Society, or La Société de musique contemporaine du Québec in French , is a contemporary classical-music organization based in Montreal, Quebec...
, and the Vancouver New Music Society among others. In 1989 he became the first composer-in-residence of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal is a symphony orchestra based in Montréal, Québec, Canada, with Montréal's Place des Arts as its home.-History:...
, holding that post until 1992.
Born in Granby, Quebec
Granby, Quebec
Granby is a city in southwestern Quebec, located east of Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 47,637. Granby is the seat of La Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality. It is the fifth most populated city in Montérégie after Longueuil, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Brossard and...
, Gougeon began his career as a primarily self-taught composer. He later entered the Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
(UM) where he studied music composition with 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...
and André Prévost. From 1984-1988 he taught music composition at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
. Since 2001 he has been a member of the music faculty at the UM. Among his notable pupils is composer Analia Llugdar
Analia Llugdar
Analia Llugdar is an Argentine composer who is currently based in Montreal, Canada. She has won several notable competitions, including first prize in the chamber music category of the CBC Radio National Competition for Young Composers, the Jeunesses Musicales du Canada Award, the Grand Prix of...
.
Awards
- In 2000 Gougeon won the Opus Prize for Composer of the Year from the Conseil québécois de la musique.
- He won the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada's Jan V. Matejcek Concert Music Award for three consecutive years (2001, 2002, 2003).
- In 2007 he won the Juno Award for Classical Composition of the YearJuno Award for Classical Composition of the YearThe Juno Award for "Classical Composition of the Year" has been awarded since 1987, as recognition each year for the best classical music composition in Canada.-Best Classical Composition :*Malcolm Forsyth, Atayoskewin...
for his Clere Vénus. - In 2010 Toy no 1 (Music Box) by Gougeon was awarded the first prize of a three-year-long composition competition organized by Radio FranceRadio FranceRadio France is a French public service radio broadcaster.-Mission:Radio France's two principal missions are:* To create and expand the programming on all of their stations; and...
, the Shanghai Media GroupShanghai Media GroupShanghai Media Group , under the Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group , is a multimedia television and radio broadcasting, news and Internet company...
and the International Spring Music Festival. The piece is written for traditional Chinese instruments and a symphonic orchestra.
Source
- Denis Gougeon at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...