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Francis BernierCanadian pianist, conductor, radio producer, administrator and music educator
Date of Birth: 12.07.1927
Country:  Canada |
Content:
- François Bernier: A Canadian Maestro and Music Educator
- Education and Early Career
- Radio and Television Producer at CBC
- Music Director and Conductor
- Music Educator and Administrator
- Founder of Domaine Forget
- Honors and Legacy
François Bernier: A Canadian Maestro and Music Educator
Early Life and Musical LineageFrançois Bernier was born on July 12, 1927, in Quebec City, into a renowned musical family. His father, Maurice Bernier, was a cellist and music critic, while his aunt and uncle, Gabrielle and Conrad Bernier, respectively, were a pianist and composer. His early musical instruction came from his grandfather, Joseph-Arthur Bernier, a composer who owned an extensive collection of keyboard instruments.
Education and Early Career
Bernier attended the Séminaire de Québec from 1939 to 1947, where he studied music. From 1945 to 1950, he enrolled in the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Québec, where his teachers included Françoise Aubut, Henri Gagnon, Hélène Landry, Ria Lenssens, and Father Alphonse Tardif. He continued his studies at Université Laval in 1949-1950 and in Salzburg and Siena in 1962-1963, thanks to a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts.
Radio and Television Producer at CBC
In 1953, Bernier joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in Montreal as a producer of music programs. He played a significant role in the French-language programming division in his first year. In 1954, he produced the television programs "Concerts pour la jeunesse" and "L'Heure du concert," which featured live classical music performances.
Music Director and Conductor
In 1956, Bernier became the Music Director of the Montreal Festival. In 1960, he was appointed General Director of the Orchestre symphonique de Québec. He conducted the orchestra's world premiere of Roger Matton's "Mouvement symphonique no.1" that year and, in 1963, Serge Garant's "Ouranos." In 1966, Bernier replaced Wilfrid Pelletier as the orchestra's chief conductor. He championed the works of contemporary French and Canadian composers during his two years in this role. He also guest conducted numerous French orchestras, including the Orchestre Colonne and the Orchestre national Bordeaux Aquitaine.
Music Educator and Administrator
From 1959 to 1964, Bernier taught conducting at Université Laval's faculty of music and directed the student choir. He served as the Assistant Director of the Conservatoire de musique du Québec from 1960 to 1968. Bernier was the President of the Canadian Music Council from 1973 to 1975 and served on the board of directors of the "Encyclopedia of Music in Canada." In 1969, he became the first Director of the Faculty of Music at the University of Ottawa, a position he held until 1976. He continued teaching at the university until 1992.
Founder of Domaine Forget
In 1977, Bernier founded Domaine Forget, an international music festival and summer school for music, theater, and ballet. He led the school until his passing.
Honors and Legacy
Bernier was awarded the François Samson Prize in 1992 and received a commemorative award from the Orchestre symphonique de Québec. In 1993, he was posthumously named a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. A scholarship was established in his name at the University of Ottawa. A new concert hall at Domaine Forget was named in his honor in 1996.
François Bernier passed away in Quebec City on February 3, 1993, at the age of 65. He left an enduring legacy as a Canadian piano virtuoso, conductor, radio producer, administrator, and music educator.
