Article

Gilbert Darisse

Published Online June 5, 2007

Last Edited December 13, 2013

Gilbert (Antoine) Darisse. Violinist, conductor, music librarian, b St-André-de-Kamouraska, near Rivière-du-Loup, Que, 28 Oct 1909, d Québec 4 Feb 1996?; B PAED (ESM, Rochester) 1932.

Darisse, Gilbert

Gilbert (Antoine) Darisse. Violinist, conductor, music librarian, b St-André-de-Kamouraska, near Rivière-du-Loup, Que, 28 Oct 1909, d Québec 4 Feb 1996?; B PAED (ESM, Rochester) 1932. After studying violin in Quebec City with Robert Talbot and 1927-32 in Rochester at the ESM, he served 1933-60 as concertmaster, 1960-5 as manager, and 1965-80 as librarian of the Quebec Symphony Orchestra. With that orchestra he premiered a concerto by Lucien Vocelle and was a soloist in Bach's Concerto for two violins and orchestra, once with Edwin Bélanger and once with Calvin Sieb. He conducted his own dance orchestra 1935-60 at the Château Frontenac and was conductor and arranger for the CBC radio shows 'Ici l'on chante' (1936-47) and 'Variétés' (1948-56). At the CMQ he taught violin 1944-65 and sight reading 1965-75. Among his pupils were Yves Bédard, Raymond Dessaints, François Magnan, and Jean-Louis Rousseau.