Louis Cyr (Musicologist)

Career in Canada and Abroad

Ordained a Jesuit priest in 1964, Cyr left for Europe to study (1965-7) ethnomusicology at the Sorbonne University, and theory at the École de musique César-Franck. He also took part in various composition seminars in Salzburg and Darmstadt (1966). He taught 1969-70 at the School of philosophy and theology in Frankfurt.

Back in Canada, he taught (1975-84) at UQAM, in addition to administrative duties as head of the committee for the introduction of a music program, and director of the music teachers' association. He worked in various domains, including liturgical music (lecturer on the occasion of international meetings, and consultant, in particular for the choice of music during the visit by Pope John Paul II in Montreal, in 1984); the restoration of organs (at the St-François-Xavier Mission in Kahnawake in 1977 and at the Gesù church in Montreal 1986-91); music for player piano (he organized concerts in Montreal (1982) and London (1985), is a founding member of the Pianola Institute in London, and edited (1987, 1989) the first two issues of its Journal).

Cyr is best known as a specialist of Igor Stravinsky's music, on which he has lectured extensively in Quebec, the USA and Europe. He is the author of many articles as well as the French translation of Stravinsky (Paris 1983) by Eric Walter White.