Joseph Hercule Omer Létourneau (13 March 1891National Library of Canada.
Nouvelles de la Bibliothèque Nationale
'. Vol. 15-16. National Library of Canada; 1983. – 14 August 1983) was a Québécois

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

and

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

from Saint-Sauveur.

Early life and education

Though born in Québec proper, Létourneau studied organ and piano with of

Joseph-Arthur Bernier Joseph-Arthur Bernier (; 19 March 1877 – 28 April 1944) was a Canadian organist, pianist, composer, and music educator. Born in Lévis, Quebec, he was the senior member of a prominent family of musicians from Quebec City. He is the father of p ...

Saint-Sauveur, Quebec Saint-Sauveur () is a town and municipality within the Les Pays-d'en-Haut Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada. It is in the administrative region of Laurentides in the Laurentian Mountains, located about 60 kilometres north of Montreal. ...

.Odette Vincent Domey.
La vie musicale au Québec: art lyrique, musique classique et contemporaine
'. Editions de l'IQRC; 2000. . p. 41.

Career

Létourneau won the

Prix d'Europe The Prix d'Europe () is a 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 ...

in 1913, and travelled to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France to perform on piano and organ. At the beginning of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he returned to Quebec and became organist of the St-Sauveur of Quebec Church,Québec (Province). Legislature.
Sessional Papers
'. The Legislature; 1916. p. 134. a position he held for many years. In 1917 he directed the production of '' L'Accordée de village'' in the Auditorium de Québec in

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

which included performances from singers such as

baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...

Joseph Fournier de Belleval Joseph Fournier de Belleval Full name, Josephat Cyprien Justin Fournier-de Bellaval (1891 – 1945) was a French Canadian baritone, singing teacher and retailer. During the 1920s, he recorded over one hundred French language songs, primarily for t ...

. After the war he went once more to Paris to complete his studies, then returned to Quebec. He founded a magazine, La Musique, and opened a music store, La Procure musicale. During the 1930s he taught at l'Ecole de Music; one of his notable students was Edwin Bélanger. During this time he also led the Laurentian Quartet.Québec (Province). Dept. of Lands and Forests.
Report of the Minister of Lands and Forests of the Province of Quebec
'. [the] Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty; 1933. p. 146. In 1981 he was the subject of a television documentary, ''M. Omer Letourneau: La Vie musicale a Quebec depuis trois generations''."TV Star Scene".
''Brandon Sun'', 12 September 1980 – Page 52

Personal life

Letourneau married Marie Coulombe, sister of pianist Clotilde Coulombe.Dix.
Les Cahiers des Dix
'. Vol. Issue 61. Les Dix; 2008. p. 159. He later died in

Québec Quebec is Canada's largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, New Brunswick to the southeast and a coastal border ...

city.

Early life and education

Career

Personal life

References

Further reading