Roger Matton, composer, teacher, ethnomusicologist (b at Granby, Qué 18 May 1929, d at Québec City, 7 Jun 2004). He first studied at the
CONSERVATOIRE DE MUSIQUE DU QUÉBEC in Montréal, notably with Claude
CHAMPAGNE (composition) and Arthur Letondal (piano), then in Paris with Andrée Vaurabourg-Honegger, Nadia Boulanger and Olivier Messiaen. Matton began his career as a composer for Radio-Canada radio and television. After studies with ethnologist Marius
BARBEAU at the National Museum of Canada, he worked as a researcher and ethnomusicologist in the folklore archives of Université Laval (1956-76), transcribing close to 300 Acadian songs (1957-59). Most of his works carry the mark of this association with folklore (
Concerto for 2 pianos and percussion,
L'Escaouette,
L'Horoscope,
Te Deum). His
Mouvement symphonique II was played by the
MONTREAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA during its 1966 concert tour of the USSR - probably one of the first Canadian symphonic works to be presented there. In 1965 he was awarded the Prix de la création at the Congrès du spectacle, and received the 1969
PRIX DE MUSIQUE CALIXA-LAVALLÉE. Matton was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1984. In 1987 Radio-Canada International issued a 4-record set of his works.
Author
HÉLÈNE PLOUFFE Revised: RACHELLE TAYLOR
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