Séverin Moisse

Séverin Joseph Moisse, pianist, composer, teacher (born 8 June 1895 in Chastre or Walhain-Saint-Paul, Belgium; died 3 September 1961 in Montréal, QC). Séverin Moisse was a pianist with the Montreal Orchestra and the popular Radio-Canada program Les Joyeux Troubadours. He was also an accomplished composer and teacher.

Education

Moisse received his training at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels from Arthur de Greef and Joseph Jongen. He taught in Charleroi, Gembloux, Brussels, and in Thuin, Belgium, and gave numerous concerts in Europe. He moved to Montreal in 1926 and became a naturalized Canadian in 1932.

Career

He was an orchestral pianist for the Montreal Orchestra from 1930 to 1941 and a soloist with the orchestra on 25 February 1934 in Liszt's Concerto No. 1. He was heard often on radio, particularly as the pianist for Radio-Canada's Les Joyeux Troubadours (see also: Music at the CBC) from 1941 to 1945.

Teaching Career

Moisse taught piano, harmony and counterpoint at the McGill Conservatory (see Music at McGill University) and the Conservatoire de musique du Québec in MontrMaurice Dela[/a>, Marcel Laurencelle, Georges Little and Michel Brouillette.

Compositions

Several of his works for piano — Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Étude in C Minor, and Six Petites Études symétriques — and his Consolation for voice, as well as some songs, were published by the Montréal chamber music ensemble Le Parnasse Musical. The Menuet dans le style ancien from his Sonata in C Minor for violin and piano (dedicated to Lucien Martin) appeared in the periodical Le Passe-Temps in February 1945. His Variations sur un thème huron for piano was published by the British Music Information Centre in 1955.