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| François Morel was born in Montréal on March 14, 1926 into a family of musicians. He received much encouragement in his first musical activities and began piano studies at an early age. At 17, he decided to enter the Montréal Conservatory, studying composition there with Claude Champagne. On leaving the Conservatory, he resolved, unlike his contemporaries who were continuing their training in Paris, to remain in Québec and to meet Varèse in New York. This decision did not compromise his international reputation. His works have been performed in the United States, in Japan, in China and in Europe, by renowned conductors like Stokowski, Monteux, Mehta, Schippers, Abbado, Ozawa, Charles Dutoit and several others. Morel has worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for more than 25 years as a composer and independent conductor, writing works for the theatre, radio and television.
Since 1979 he has been a professor at the School of Music of Laval University where he teaches musical analysis, orchestration and composition. He was as well one of the founders of the Société de musique de notre temps with, among others, Serge Garant. The objective of the organization is the promotion of 20th century music. In 1978 he co-founded "Éditions Québec Musique" with Louise Laplante and today this venture has become a special collection in the catalogue of the Québec publishing house Doberman-Yppan. Morel was also (in 1983) founder and artistic director of the "Ensemble Bois and Cuivres du Québec" which, for its two Québec City seasons, presented a unique contemporary repertoire for wind instruments and works by Canadian composers, both on CBC radio and in live concerts. |
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