Achille Fortier(23 October 1864 – 19 August 1939) was aCanadiancomposerandmusic educator.His compositional output includes a modest amount ofchoralandchamberworks, several songs andmotets,and a small amount ofsymphonicmusic. A considerable portion of his compositions are religious in nature. Much of his work remains unpublished and some of his music is now lost as it was destroyed by a fire. TheBibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québecholds more than 30 of his original scores in its collection.[1]
Life
editBorn inSaint-Clet,Canada East,Fortier received his initial musical training at the Petit Séminaire de Saint-Thérèse just outside Montreal where he was a pupil of Father Sauvé. He then pursued further studies withGuillaume CoutureandDominique Ducharmein Montreal. In 1885 Fortier went to France where he studied for the next five years. Among his teachers there wereAndré GedalgeandErnest Guiraud(music composition). In 1889 he attended theConservatoire de Paris,the first Canadian to be admitted as a regular student.[2]
In 1890 Fortier returned to Canada to join the teaching staff at theInstitut Nazarethin Montreal where he was an instructor for classes incounterpoint,harmony, and singing. He also taught similar courses at the Dames du Sacré-Coeur Convent, the Villa-Maria Convent, and at the Conservatoire of theCanadian Artistic Society.Some of his notable pupils includedJean-Noël Charbonneau,Gabriel Cusson,Frédéric Pelletier,andÉdouard LeBel.From 1892 to 1893 he served as the choirmaster for theNotre-Dame Basilicain Montreal. He later worked in Ottawa for many years as a French to English translator for the Canadian federal government, beginning in 1900. He died inViauvilleat the age of 74.[1]
Honors
edit- In 1926 he was awarded anHonorary doctoratefrom theUniversité de Montréal.[1]
- In 1985 the city of Montreal named a street in thePointe-aux-Tremblesdistrict after him.[1]
- In 1988 sopranoLiette Turner,cellistAlain Aubut,and pianistRéjean Coallierformed the chamber groupEnsemble Achille-Fortier,an ensemble dedicated to performing music from Quebec of the 19th century and early 20th century. The group has released several CDs, many of which contain music by Fortier.[1]