Richard Boucher

Boucher, Richard

Boucher, Richard (-Gaudreault). Composer, b Montreal 8 Nov 1946, d Greenfield Park, near Montreal, 7 Jan 1987. After a classical education 1960-7 at the Collège Sainte-Croix, he studied 1968-74 at the CMM with Gilles Tremblay (analysis and composition), Françoise Aubut (counterpoint), and Gaston Arel (harmony). He visited electronic music studios in Europe in 1973 on a Canada Council grant and studied 1975-7 at the McGill University studios. His Angoisse des fuyantes créations for ondes Martenot and two percussion, which won one of four first prizes in the 1973 CBC National Radio Competition for Young Composers (CBC radio competitions), was performed in Paris in 1974 at the Tribune internationale des compositeurs. Besides electronic and environmental music for various exhibitions, Boucher's works include pieces for varied groupings, such as Begonia Rex for four ondes Martenot, premiered in 1977 by the SMCQ and recorded by the Ensemble d'ondes de Montréal (RCI 492, see Jean Laurendeau). Boucher wrote the music for the CBC TV documentary 'Depuis la mer du Nord,' broadcast in 1977. In November of that year he participated in the CAPAC-organized Canadian Music Festival in Europe; his Angoisse des fuyantes créations was played at Bonn and at Leverkusen, and was broadcast by Cologne radio. In 1979, the CBC commissioned his Cantata Anges maudits, veuillez m'aider! which was recorded (RCI 522) by Pauline Vaillancourt. In 1986, during Boucher's stay in Japan, his work Contemplation de l'eau par le feu was premiered there. In the same year the SMCQ ensemble premiered Durer for soprano and instrumental ensemble.