Louise André

André, Louise
Louise (b Jeanne) André (b Baril). Soprano, teacher, b St-Tite, near Trois-Rivières, Que, 26 Feb 1913; B MUS (Montreal) 1938, MA (Montreal) 1940, L MUS (Montreal) 1942, D MUS (Montreal) 1957. She studied piano and singing with Alfred Lamoureux and Rodolphe Plamondon and composition with Claude Champagne, pursuing her musical and academic studies at the Pensionnat Mont-Royal, the École Vincent-d'Indy, and the University of Montreal. She was a member, 1932-67, of the order of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary under the name of Sister Louise-Andrée. Her university studies were centered on the development of the voice. "L'éducation de l'artiste chanteur" is the title of her doctoral thesis. She received a diploma from the Pius XII Institute of Florence where she studied 1953-4 with Roberto Lupi. Her life has been devoted to the teaching of the vocal arts, 1935-82 at the École Vincent-d'Indy and 1965-83 at the University of Montreal, where she was made a professor emeritus in 1980. She also taught 1967-72 at the Cons de Chicoutimi and 1972-7 at the University of Ottawa. In 1980 she began teaching at Laval University where she created an opera studio later that year. In her teaching she has been able to impart a sure grasp of various styles through her mastery of five languages and a personal technique resulting from study and experimentation in diverse schools. Among her pupils have been Claire Grenon-Masella, Christine Harvey, Marie Laferrière, Nicole Lorange, Gloria Richard, Roland Richard, and Sylvia Saurette. She was president 1984-7 of the AMQ, received the Canadian Music Council Medal in 1985, and the Prix de musique Calixa-Lavallée in 1991.

Author Nicole Trudeau

Bibliography

Angrignon Sirois, Maryse. "Louise André, la doyenne de nos professeurs de chant," Aria, vol l0, Winter 1987