Jocelyne Binet

Full biography Jocelyne Binet

Jocelyne Binet was a Canadian composer and pianist who was born in the city of Montreal on March 27, 1923, and passed away on December 31, 1968. She was one of Quebec's first female composers and is often remembered for her contributions to the development of contemporary Canadian music. Binet started her musical studies with her mother, a pianist who trained her in piano performance and theory. She continued her studies with the composer and pedagogue Claude Champagne at the Montreal Conservatory, where she earned a degree in 1945.

Binet then went to Paris, where she studied with the renowned composer Olivier Messiaen and won the Grand Prix de Rome in 1951. During her time in Paris, she also studied orchestration with Arthur Honegger, conducting with Jean Fournet, and counterpoint with Nadia Boulanger. She returned to Canada in 1952 and began teaching at the Montreal Conservatory. She also taught at the McGill Conservatory, where she established the electronic music studio.

Binet's music is characterized by its lyricism, innovative harmony, and rhythmic vitality. Her compositions include works for orchestra, voice, chamber ensemble, and solo instruments, as well as electronic music. Among her most notable works are her four orchestral suites, Trois Poemes for voice and orchestra, and Cycle de Melodies sur des Poemes de Paul Eluard. The latter work was discovered by the Canadian baritone Gerard Souzay, who recorded it in 1960 and helped to bring Binet's music to a wider audience.

Jocelyne Binet died in Montreal at the age of 45, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneering composer and a beloved teacher.