Chronology: Claude Champagne

CHRONOLOGY: CLAUDE CHAMPAGNE

1891
Born Joseph-Arthur-Adonaï Champagne on May 27 in Montréal to Mélina Champagne (née Normandin) and Arthur Champagne.

ca. 1900
At the age of about 9, he takes his first piano lessons from a cousin and then from an aunt.
A little later, Claude Champagne's father sends him to the Archbishop's Academy to learn English.  Claude Champagne receives permission to study piano there with John S. McCaffrey.
He also studies piano with Romain-Octave Pelletier and Orpha Deveaux.

ca. 1905
At the age of 14, he is given his first violin and takes a few lessons from Orpha Deveaux.  He continues those studies with Albert Chamberland.

1908
Receives diplomas for piano, both the intermediate and senior levels from the Dominion College of Music.

1909
Receives diploma with honours (piano) from the National Conservatory Ltd. of Montreal.

ca. 1913
Becomes a member of the Regimental Band of the Canadian Grenadier Guards in Montreal for which he played saxophone until approximately 1920.

1914
Composes La Ballade des lutins for the Regimental Band of the Canadian Grenadier Guards.

1915
La Ballade des lutins is first performed on May 20 by the Regimental Band of the Canadian Grenadier Guards conducted by Jean-Josaphat Gagnier.

1918
Composes the symphonic poem Hercule et Omphale.
Creates an orchestral arrangement of the folksong J'ai du bon tabac...
Premiere of J'ai du bon tabac... and his incidental music to Brother Marie-Victorin's play Ils sont un peuple sans histoire, January 31st.
Composes Prélude et Filigrane, two short pieces for piano, dedicated to Léo-Pol Morin.  These are first performed by Morin on December 3rd at Windsor Hall in Montréal.

1921
Embarks in August for the city of Antwerp in Belgium to meet with fellow Canadian, Alfred Laliberté, who was then travelling in Europe.
Goes to Brussels and arranges to meet with the Belgian composer Paul Gilson.  Gilson advises Champagne to go to Paris, where he would have more opportunity to hear music.
In Paris, he meets the French composer Paul Dukas.  This is followed by a meeting with André Bloch, director of the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau.  Both advise Champagne to pursue studies with André Gédalge.  André Bloch invites Champagne to attend one of André Gédalge's classes and introduces Champagne to him.
Enrolls at the Conservatoire de musique et de déclamation in Paris.  He studies counterpoint and fugue with André Gédalge until 1926. Following Gédalge's death, he continues those studies with Charles Koechlin.  He studies composition and orchestration with Raoul Laparra and violin with the Russian violinist Julius Conus.
Attends the Schola Cantorum.  He is admitted to a choral class in the Renaissance repertory given by Louis de Serres.
Secures a job as an archivist for the Paris office of the Public Archives of Canada.

1922
Marries Jeanne Marchal on August 12.

1924
Receives a bursary from the government of the province of Quebec in order to continue his studies.

1926
Premiere on March 31 in Paris of Hercule et Omphale.

1927
Hears about an international folk-music competition through his friend Pierre Dupuy (who was at the time secretary to Philippe Roy, Commissioner General for Canada in France) and composes his Suite canadienne for choir and orchestra.

1928
Awarded first prize for his Suite canadienne in the cantata category of the E.W. Beatty competition for compositions based on Canadian folk melodies.
Premiere on October 20 in Paris of the Suite canadienne.
Returns to Canada in the month of December.

1929
Suite canadienne is published by Durand et Fils of Paris.
Begins teaching at the École supérieure de musique d'Outremont (today, the École de musique Vincent-d'Indy) and continues to teach until his death.
Begins teaching at the Schola Cantorum of Montréal and also at the Conservatoire national de musique of Montréal.
Composes Danse villageoise for violin and piano.  Premiere on March 19 by Annette Lasalle-Leduc (violin) and Léo-Pol Morin (piano).

1930
Begins teaching at the École normale de musique and continues to teach until his death.

1933
Begins teaching at the McGill Conservatorium of Music and continues to teach until 1944.

1935
Appointed director, organizer, inspector and teacher of solfège and music education for the Montreal Catholic School Commission. He holds this post until 1942.

1941
Becomes holder of the chair of music on the program Radio-Collège broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Montréal.  He holds the post until 1945.

1942
Appointed as assistant director of the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique of the province of Quebec.  He remains there until 1962.

1943
Composes Les Images du Canada français.

1944
Composes Gaspésia.

1946
Receives the degree of honorary Doctor of Music from the Université de Montréal on May 30.
In July, leaves on a two-month tour of Brazil with Sir Ernest MacMillan.
Canadian delegate representing CAPAC (Composers, Authors and Publishers Association of Canada) at a conference held in Washington D.C. by the International Confederation of the Societies of Authors and Composers from October 21 to 26.

1947
Composes his Symphonie gaspésienne.

1948
Represents Canada at the International Conference of Folklore held by the International Folk Music Council in Basel, Switzerland, in September.  Begins composing his Concerto for piano and orchestra.

1949
Appointed as editor-in-chief of contemporary music of BMI Canada Limited.  Becomes honorary president of the Canadian Arts Council (today, the Canadian Conference of the Arts).

1950
Becomes delegate for the Conseil international de la musique of UNESCO.  Is member of the administration as well as professor at the Faculté de musique of the Université de Montréal.

1951
Begins composing his Quatuor à cordes (String Quartet).

1953
Appointed Canadian chairman of the committee on selections for the concert Canadian Music at Carnegie Hall, held in New York on October 16.  Premiere of Paysanna, a work commissioned by the Société Radio-Canada (CBC) for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, on May 29 by the orchestra of the Société Radio-Canada conducted by Jean Leduc.

1955
Becomes honorary member of the Canadian League of Composers, May 21.

1956
Named honorary professor of the Faculté de musique of the Université de Montréal, December 3.

1957
Receives the University of Alberta National Award in Music.
Becomes honorary advisor to the Canadian Bureau for the Advancement of Music, January 31.

1959
Composes Altitude.
Becomes member of the International Folk Music Council and the Canadian Folk Music Society.

1960
Premiere of Altitude in Toronto by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Symphony Orchestra and Choir conducted by Charles Houdret, April 22.
Receives the honorary degree of Doctor of Music from the Chicago Conservatory College, January 25.

1962
Receives the Canada Council Medal.

1964
Altitude is performed in Paris, February 23.
Named life member of the Musicians Guild of Montreal, December 29.

1965
Named honorary member of the Musicians Guild of Montreal, January 5.
Died at his home in Montréal on December 21.

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* For a detailed list of works and a bibliography, see:
Louise Bail-Milot, "Claude Champagne" in the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada.  2nd Ed. Edited by Helmut Kallmann and Gilles Potvin.  Toronto:  University of Toronto Press, 1992, p. 224 - 225.