Robin Minard

Minard, Robin

Minard, Robin. Composer, b Montreal 27 Nov 1953; B MUS theory and composition (Western Ontario) 1977, premier prix analysis (CMM) 1980, premier prix composition (CMM) 1981. He first studied at the University of Western Ontario, then at the CMM with Gilles Tremblay and at McGill University with John Rea. He won twice the Sir Ernest MacMillan Award/Fellowship awarded by CAPAC, for Léliah (orchestra, 1978) and for Des Cadences (chamber music, 1981); the latter work also received one of the PRO Canada awards (1981). He was a member of the electroacoustic group Sonde (1979-88).

On a grant from the Canada Council, he undertook 1988 doctoral studies on environmental music at the University of Paris VIII under the guidance of composer Horacio Vaggione. Minard has shown interest in this genre since 1982, and he has produced performance works and ambient music for selected public spaces. For Minard, environmental music is functional music that aims at improving our environment. According to this principle, he conceived and realized several 'sound spaces' during many working visits to West Berlin; these include Music for Passageways (1985) and Music for Walking Under (1987). In 1987, he presented in Warsaw Qu'il m'en souvienne..., a concert work for 4-track tape. In 1990, as part of the New Music America (Montréal musiques actuelles) festival, he realized a sound installation in the metro stations of Montreal. His book 'Une musique pour l'espace public' was due to appear in 1990. He is a member of the CLComp and an associate of the Canadian Music Centre.