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Joseph-Antonio Thompson
1896 - 1974
Canada
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J.-A. Thompson
Joseph-Antonio (Antoine) Thompson (22/11/1896 - 08/03/1974), a Canadian organist, composer, choir conductor, bandmaster, teacher. He was born in Montreal 22 Nov 1896, died Trois-Rivières, Que, 8 Mar 1974; lauréat organ (Laval) 1923, D MUS (Montreal) 1950. He studied music in Montreal with Jean-Noël Charbonneau and Élie Savaria (piano), and in Quebec City with J.-Arthur Bernier (organ). He occasionally replaced Bernier on the organ at St-Jean-Baptiste Church. In 1916, at the age of 20, he was appointed organist of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Allégresses Church in Trois-Rivières, and from then until his death he played a leading role in that city's musical development. In 1920 he directed the music for the Compagnons de Notre-Dame, a theatre company he helped found. He taught piano and organ at the seminary, the Académie de la Salle, and the Collège séraphique. Among his pupils were Émilien Allard, Gabriel Charpentier, Jean-Yves Landry, Marcel Roux, Alfred Tardif, and his own sons Claude and Marcel. In 1930 he succeeded Giuseppe Agostini as conductor of the Philharmonie de La Salle, and in 1941 he founded the Choeur mixte (later Choeur Thompson), which he directed until 1955. Under his direction the choir presented in 1953 Handel's Samson and in 1954 two Bach cantatas. He was the first artistic director 1937-9 of radio station CHLN and produced and announced many musical programs. During the same period he founded the vocal quartet Chevaliers du guet, for whom he arranged numerous folksongs. He also gave private lessons and taught solfège and harmony in the public music courses offered 1930-70 by the Quebec government.
Requiem
Period:Expressionism