Fernand Martel

Career Highlights

Raised by a Québécois father and an American mother, Fernand Martel studied singing at Laval University with Louis Gravel. During the Second World War he toured as soloist with the Band of the Royal 22nd Regiment. He studied with Queena Mario and Maggie Teyte on scholarship at the Juilliard School (1944–48).

On 25 March 1948, Martel made his debut with the New York City Opera as Pelléas in Pelléas et Mélisande opposite Maggie Teyte. He worked with Pierre Bernac in Paris prior to his Canadian debut in 1949 with Montreal's Minute Opera in Wolf-Ferrari's The Secret of Susanna and Milhaud's Le Pauvre Matelot. He took part in productions by the Opéra national du Québec and sang on CBC radio in Menotti's The Telephone, Martinu's Comedy on the Bridge, Sauguet's Les Caprices de Marianne, Ravel's L'Heure espagnole, and numerous works from the repertoire. At Tanglewood in 1950 he took part in the American premiere, in the composer's presence, of Jacques Ibert's opera Le Roi d'Yvetot. In 1952 he sang Lescaut in Massenet's Manon with the Miami Opera Guild.

Shortly afterwards, Martel embarked on a solo career, accompanying himself on the piano, the organ, or the guitar. Besides five singles and one LP for the London label, in the United States he has made the LP Fernand Martel at the Rodgers 340 Theatre Organ (Concert Recording CR-18). In 1955 he settled in Los Angeles.