Serge Garant

Canadian composer, conductor, pianist, teacher, critic (born 22 September 1929 in Québec City; died 1 November 1986 in Sherbrooke, Québec). A daring and innovative musician, Garant was known for his promotion of 20th-century music, especially that of Canada. He introduced two innovative procedures into Canadian music, utilizing taped material in Nucléogame (1955) and incorporating aleatoric techniques in Trois pièces pour quatuor à cordes (1958). However, it was Anerca (1961) that gained him recognition as a leading Canadian musician. He was a professor at the Faculté De Musique De L'Université de Montréal (1967–86), the host of Radio-Canada’s Musique de notre siècle (1971–85) and a co-founder of the Société De musique Contemporaine Du Québec (SMCQ), which he directed from its foundation in 1966 until his death in 1986. He was awarded the Canadian Music Council Medal, the Wm. Harold Moon Award, the Prix de musique Calixa-Lavallée and the Canada Council Music Prize.