Michel Tétreault

Tétreault, Michel

Tétreault, Michel. Composer, teacher, b Marieville, near Montreal, 26 Apr 1954; B MUS composition (Montreal) 1981, M MUS electroacoustic composition (Montreal) 1985. After attending the École Vincent d'Indy where he studied composition with Michel Longtin, he pursued composition studies at the University of Montreal, first with Serge Garant and later with Marcelle Deschênes (electroacoustic music). He also participated in a seminar on electroacoustic music directed by Alcides Lanza (1983-4). He won scholarships from the MACQ (1985) and the Canada Council (1985, 1987). Secretary and subsequently vice-president of ACREQ (1986-9), he worked on behalf of the Canadian Electroacoustic Community (1987-8), two organizations of which he has been a member. In 1987, he began teaching music literature and composition at the St-Laurent Cegep.

Mostly interested in electroacoustic composition, Tétreault has devoted himself since 1983 to installations combining music and architecture. In Belgium he realized with sculptor Michel Archambault an installation entitled Crux (1987). More recently, he has collaborated with multi-media artist André Greusard. Forsaking the concert hall environment, Tétreault has had several works premiered in art galleries, including Triton (1981), Locus (1986), and a new version of Crux (1988), or at such events as Printemps électroacoustique (Tayori, 1984; ... À MIDI, aux réseaux AM/FM, 1986), Journées électroacoustiques (Fuzeï and Tisser des spectres, 1983), and the New Music America/Montréal Musiques actuelles festival (Compost sonore, 1990). His catalogue also includes Les Jardins d'épars-in II for piano (1979) and AI-Un for solo tape (1982). His compositions have been heard frequently on CBC radio. Tétreault said about Tayori that this work 'is not aimed anymore at an ordinary listener, but at a spectator-listener who becomes integrated in a space-time-place. He is invited to be a part of the installation through physical contact with the visual landscape and the sounds surrounding it'. (Q/Résonance, Montreal 1988).