Article

Raoul Jobin

Published Online January 29, 2008

Last Edited July 17, 2015

Raoul Jobin, teacher, tenor, administrator, civil servant (b Joseph Roméo Jobin at Québec City 8 Apr 1906; d there 13 Jan 1974). He was the greatest francophone tenor of his age. His studies, begun at Université Laval, were continued in Paris.

Jobin, Raoul

Raoul Jobin, teacher, tenor, administrator, civil servant (b Joseph Roméo Jobin at Québec City 8 Apr 1906; d there 13 Jan 1974). He was the greatest francophone tenor of his age. His studies, begun at Université Laval, were continued in Paris. Throughout a long and fruitful career, he was frequently asked to interpret strong characters such as Samson, Don José and Lohengrin. He was first tenor at the Opéra-Comique de Paris during the 1930s before joining the Metropolitan Opera in New York (1940-50).

He taught at the music conservatories in Montréal and Québec (where he was also director [1961-70]). Cultural consultant with Québec's general delegation in Paris (1970-73), he was made a knight of the Légion d'honneur in France (1951) and a Companion of the Order of Canada (1967).