Prix d'Europe

Prix d'Europe. Annual study grant created by the Quebec government in 1911 through the initiative of J.-Arthur Paquet, businessman, organist, and the treasurer of the AMQ. With the approval of the academy's secretary, J.-Arthur Bernier, and the members of the board, the project was presented to the Quebec premier, Sir Lomer Gouin, who supported it. A law to promote the development of musical art was passed by the Legislative Assembly 24 Mar 1911. The Prix d'Europe, offered annually, is funded by the MACQ and administered by the AMQ. It was set originally at $3000, raised to $5000 in 1959, to $8000 in 1973, and to $12,000 in 1988. Initially participants competed in their respective categories for one main prize. In 1960 two categories were created: keyboard instruments and voice, alternating with orchestral instruments and composition. In 1974 the original formula of having only one prize winner was reinstated.

Special grants were awarded to Norman Herschorn (violin, 1924) and Alice Ste-Marie (piano, 1926). In 1938 Marcel Hébert drowned shortly after winning the competition and the grant was shared by Noël Brunet and Georges Savaria. In 1971 the prize was withheld, because no candidate performed at a sufficiently high level.

Winners 1911-39
1911 Clotilde Coulombe, piano

1912 Léo-Pol Morin, piano

1913 Omer Létourneau, organ

1914 Hector (Jean) Dansereau, piano

1915 Wilfrid Pelletier, piano

1916 Graziella Dumaine, voice

1917 Germaine Malépart, piano

1918 Jean Kaster, cello

1919 Lucille Dompierre, piano

1920 Ruth Pryce, violin

1921 Auguste Descarries, piano

1922 Anna-Marie Messénie, piano

1923 Conrad Bernier, organ

1924 Gabriel Cusson, cello

1925 Paul Doyon, piano

1926 Lionel Daunais, voice

1927 Rita Savard, piano; Henri Mercure, composition

1928 Brahm Sand, cello

1929 Jean-Marie Beaudet, organ

1930 Gilberte Martin, piano

1931 Lucien Martin, violin

1932 Bernard Piché, organ

1933 Edwin Bélanger, violin

1934 Georges Lindsay, organ

1935 Georgette Tremblay, organ

1936 Noël Brunet, violin

1937 Georges Savaria, piano

1938 Marcel Hébert, piano

1939 Paule-Aimée Bailly, piano

1940-79
1940 Suzette Forgues, cello

1941 Marcelle Martin, organ

1942 Claude Lavoie, organ

1943 Berthe Dorval, piano

1944 Jacqueline Lavoy, piano

1945 Claude Létourneau, violin

1946 Jeanne Landry, piano

1947 Lise DesRosiers, piano

1948 Raymond Daveluy, organ

1949 Clermont Pépin, piano

1950 Josephte Dufresne, piano

1951 Anna-Marie Globenski, piano

1952 Janine Lachance, piano

1953 Kenneth Gilbert, organ

1954 Monik Grenier, piano

1955 Léon Bernier, piano

1956 Monique Munger, piano

1957 Jean Leduc, organ

1958 Lise Boucher, piano

1959 Rachel Martel, piano

1960 Jacqueline Martel, voice; Gisèle Daoust, piano

1961 Jacques Hétu, composition; Pierre Ménard, violin

1962 Colette Boky, voice; John McKay, piano

1963 Cécile Lanneville, cello; André Prévost, composition

1964 Claude Ouellet, voice; Claude Savard, piano

1965 Alain Gagnon, composition

1966 Monique Gendron, organ; Bruno Laplante, voice

1967 Micheline Coulombe Saint-Marcoux, composition; Jacques Larocque, saxophone

1968 Roland Richard, voice; Lucie Madden, organ

1969 Louise LeComte, recorder

1970 John Whitelaw, harpsichord

1971 not awarded

1972 Marie Laferrière, voice; Karen Quinton, piano

1973 Raynald Arseneault, composition; Marcel Saint-Jacques, flute

1974 Jacinthe Couture, piano

1975 Denis Bédard, harpsichord

1976 Robert Langevin, flute

1977 Michel Franck, piano

1978 Gilles Carpentier, clarinet

1979 Chantal Juillet, violin

1980-91
1980 Marie-Danielle Parent, voice

1981 Jacques Després, piano

1982 Johanne Perron, cello

1983 Sophie Rolland, cello

1984 Violaine Melançon, violin

1985 Éric Trudel, piano

1986 Jean Saulnier, piano

1987 Philippe Magnan, oboe

1988 Brigitte Rolland, violin

1989 Claude Labelle, piano

1990 Marie-Claude Bilodeau, piano

1991 Stéphane Rancourt, oboe

Author Cécile Huot

Bibliography

Morin, Léo-Pol. 'Le Prix d'Europe,' Montreal La Patrie, 5 instalments, 5, 12, 19, and 26 Jun, 26 Jul 1926

Barrière, Mireille. 'Le Prix d'Europe porte bien ses soixante-dix ans,' Aria, vol 4, Winter 1981-2

Brisson Irène. 'Le Prix d'Europe a 75 ans,' Sonances, vol 5, Jul 1986

Links to Other Sites
Historica-Dominion Institute
The website for the Historica-Dominion Institute, parent organization of The Canadian Encyclopedia and the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. Check out their extensive online feature about the War of 1812, the "Heritage Minutes" video collection, and many other interactive resources concerning Canadian history, culture, and heritage.