Wilfred pelletier biography templates

He had a long and fruitful partnership with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City that began with his appointment as a rehearsal accompanist in ; ultimately working there as one of the company's conductors in mainly the French opera repertoire from to Pelletier was one of the most influential music educators in Canada during the 20th century.

As a pianist, Pelletier was active during the s and s as one half of a piano duo with partner Arthur Loesserthe half-brother of Broadway wilfred pelletier biography templates Frank Loesser. The two made a number of recordings together that were made under the direction of Arthur Bodanzky. He also made a number of solo recordings and Ampico piano rolls in the early s, playing mostly piano reductions from the operas of French composers like Georges BizetCharles Gounodand Jules Massenet.

As a composer, he produced only a small body of work, most notably In the Dark, in the Dew published in Boston, which soprano Maria Jeritza included in a number of her recitals. He was married three times in his life, notably to opera singers Queena Mario and Rose Bampton. Born in MontrealPelletier was the son of a wilfred pelletier biography templates who in his spare time performed actively as an amateur musician and conducted a community concert band.

The performance absolutely enthralled him and he decided that night that he wanted to pursue a career conducting operas. While attempting to find work in the field of opera he took a position as the pianist for the orchestra of the National Theatre in Montreal. In the summer of he was hired by Henri Delcellier as the rehearsal pianist with the Montreal Opera Company MOCremaining there until the company went bankrupt in While working for the company he married his first wife Berthe Jeannotte, the sister of tenor Albert Clerk-Jeannotte.

The experience of losing his job with the MOC made Pelletier question his potential career opportunities in Canada and he decided that he needed to find a way to go to Europe. His teachers encouraged him to enter the Prix d'Europe competition which he lost in but won in This competition win led to the Quebec government giving him a grant to pursue studies in Europe.

Undaunted, the couple remained until circumstances related to the war forced them to leave at the end of June Although only in France for roughly nine months, Pelletier's time there was well spent under the tutelage of Isidor Philipp pianoMarcel Samuel-Rousseau harmonyCharles-Marie Widor compositionand most importantly Camille Bellaigue who gave him singing lessons and worked with him in learning the French operatic repertoire on the piano.

In Julythe Pelletiers arrived in New York City where they were befriended by conductor Pierre Monteux who introduced them to important people in the musical social circles of the city. These connections led to his being hired at the Metropolitan Opera as a rehearsal pianist for the company's French opera productions, a position he maintained until when he was promoted to assistant conductor at the Met.

That relationship also ended in divorce some years later. He later married a former voice student of Mario's, opera star Rose Bampton in From toPelletier was the rehearsal pianist and assistant conductor for Antonio Scotti 's touring company the Scotti Opera Company where he worked under conductors Gennaro Papi and Carlo Peroni. With this company he conducted his first complete opera performance, Giuseppe Verdi 's Il trovatore on 21 May in Memphis, Tennessee.

But an internal conflict over the selection of artists and his schedule pitted Pelletier against the SCSM management. The artistic director resigned his post. Peace was nevertheless re-established between the two parties and, starting inPelletier returned to the podium for a few performances. He had not, however, ceased to appear at the Montreal Festivals and at the summer concerts.

Perrier knew Pelletier well since they had attended school in Saint-Pierre at the same time and had stayed in touch. On 22 October Perrier appointed Pelletier managing director of the new institution. In his duties, Pelletier used the best European conservatories as his model, particularly the one in Paris. Students were admitted by competitive examination and followed a demanding program that culminated in a diploma after five years of study.

Pelletier recruited eminent professors, not only in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada, but also in Europe and the United States. In the winds of change were blowing at the Met when Rudolf Bing, the British impresario of Austrian extraction, replaced Johnson. The new managing director, who wanted to give less emphasis to the French repertoire in order to offer more German operas, did not renew the contracts of four conductors, including that of Pelletier, who nevertheless retained the Metropolitan Opera auditions of the air series.

He had mounted the podium other times to present under his baton eight ballets as well as gala evenings and, above all, the Sunday concerts that he had coordinated for 20 years. He made his last appearance with the Met on 15 May in Rochester, N. He would continue to work and reside in the American metropolis until the end of his life.

There he also spent time with friend and adviser Arturo Toscanini, the famous conductor. Since Pelletier had acted as a guest conductor of the ensemble for a few concerts, and in it chose him as the fourth musical director in its history. His initial concern was to put an end to a certain amateurism and give the orchestra a professional character.

He also presented matinee symphony concerts for young people. When he tendered his resignation in the spring ofPelletier left a permanent, reinvigorated ensemble, on a par with the best Canadian orchestras. Between and Pelletier was given a few television programs on Radio-Canada, the French-language network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

The conductor sometimes hosted Concerts pour la jeunessethe televised version of the matinee symphony concerts. There is a tough campaign being waged against him.

Wilfred pelletier biography templates: The first artistic director

He left an institute that had trained excellent music teachers and performers of international calibre. A few of them would be implemented at some point, notably the creation of an opera house and the setting up of programs that combined studies and music. He gave up his duties in Nature eventually caught up with this indefatigable man, who suffered two heart attacks, in and Nevertheless, he continued to take an interest in the musical life of Quebec and especially in the problem of opera in Montreal, which had preoccupied him for a long time.

Indeed, between and he had presented short opera seasons in Montreal and other Canadian cities. He would have preferred, however, the establishment of a permanent lyric theatre that would provide a full yearly season instead of a series of sporadic performances.

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His final appearance as conductor took place under moving circumstances on 30 Aug. In the course of his career Pelletier received several honorary doctorates from Canadian and American universities and a number of prestigious titles: chevalier of the Legion of Honour inthe Canada Council Medal inand companion of the Order of Canada inamong others.

Throughout my tenure, I helped many artists hone their craft, and was encouraged to develop my own, thanks to the invaluable assistance of those whose cultures and human values impressed me as much as their personalities. Wilfrid Pelletier was born in Montreal into a family of amateur musicians, all of whom sang or played an instrument. Early in life, he showed promise as a pianist.

Barely a teen, a friend of his recommended him for a job as accompanist to the Montreal Opera Company Not long after his arrival in that city, he would be earning his living full-time as a musician.

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Eventually, he would pick up the baton of the Metropolitan Orchestra, then head out on tour under the guise of his friend and mentor, Arturo Toscanini, one of the greatest conductors of the era. He was also held in high esteem by his colleagues, especially for his vast knowledge of the French and Italian repertoires. The musicians were granted official status via a charter of rights and obligations, the latter binding them to rehearsals, the former ensuring paid rehearsals.

Inone year after all of the preceding, Pelletier organized symphonic matinees for young listeners, much to the delight of local audiences.