Émile Larochelle

Larochelle, Émile

Émile Larochelle. Tenor, teacher, pianist, organist, b Quebec City 13 Aug 1891, d there 9 Oct 1958. At 10 he sang in various churches and studied piano with Olivier Hudson. He took classical studies at the Séminaire de Québec and at Laval University, where he was active as pianist, organist, and singer. He served as choirmaster in several parishes in Quebec City before studying voice (1923) in Paris with Mme Charlotte d'Estainville and Louis de Laquerrière. He also took classes at the Schola cantorum and at the Institut Grégorien, was tenor soloist in Paris churches (including St-Eustache), and sang in the choir of the Concerts Lamoureux.

After his return to Quebec City, Larochelle taught voice and performed in concert and on radio. He was soloist in Sunday concerts at the Château Frontenac for more than four years and principal tenor of the Quatuor laurentien and the Trio harmonique. He initiated free solfège courses in the St-Malo and St-Sauveur districts. He was a committee member (1925) and secretary (1951) of the AMQ. At Laval University he taught choral conducting and voice and Pierre Boutet, Violette Delisle, Raoul Jobin, Léopold Simoneau, and Richard Verreau were among his pupils. His four 78s made for Victor Orthophonie are listed in Roll Back the Years.