Yves-G. Préfontaine
Biographie Yves-G. Préfontaine
Yves-G. Préfontaine
undertook his studies in music at the Conservatory of Music in Montreal, studying organ and harpsichord with Bernard and Mireille Lagacé, followed by Scott Ross. He was awarded first prizes in each of these disciplines and went to continue harpsichord study with Gustav Leonhardt in Amsterdam. He took first place in the John Robb Competition of Montreal as well as in the in the national competition of the Royal Canadian College of Organists.
As a soloist and chamber musician, he has played for most organisations devoted to organ recitals and has been a guest at festivals in Québec, New Brunswick, Ontario, Alberta, United States, Germany, Belgium and France.
After some time working as researcher and host for the classical music broadcasts of Radio-Canada and Radio-Cité, he founded the music department at the CEGEP Marie-Victorin, which he directed for ten years. He is titular organist at the Grand Seminary and at le Sanctuaire Marie-Reine-des-Coeurs in Montreal.
Among his most important realization one should mention 12 recitals where he played the whole keyboard works of François Couperin. He performed as well the entire works of Jean-Philippe Rameau, Jean-François d’Anglebert and the main works by Johann Jacob Froberger. Since 18 years, he is the artistic director of Le Festival des Couleurs de l’Orgue français, which takes place each fall at le Grand Séminaire de Montréal.
His recordings include La Messe by Gaspard Corrette, The 12 Hymns by Jehan Titelouze, the Complete harpsichord works by Marpurg and Two Centuries of French organ verses by various composers, all on ATMA label.
Over the last years, he has been on the board of Laudem, Le Clavier d’Autrefois, Les Amis de l’Orgue de Montréal. Together with a French collegue, he leads “Orgues et Cimes”, a Summer Academy, in Switzerland.
