MONTREAL, Dec. 22, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Following the announcement of the retirement of Mr. Gilbert Patenaude, Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal (PCMR) is pleased to announce the appointment of its new musical and artistic director, Mr. Andrew Gray, beginning in August 2016. Until then, Mr. Patenaude remains at the head of the organization. He will finish the current season and lead the summer concert tour in the major cities of the US East Coast.
Andrew Gray's musical and choral experiences spans three decades. He started out as a boy chorister at Durham Cathedral in the United Kingdom and later joined the internationally renowned a cappella vocal ensemble The Swingle Singers. As a performer he participated in various modern operas and other works of contemporary repertoire. He has conducted workshops and masterclasses in the choral field with several groups around the world. Arriving in Montreal in 2010, he quickly became known on the regional scene as a choral director. He currently holds several positions with both children and adult choirs.
Mr. Gray will commence his functions as Musical and Artistic Director of Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal at the start of the 2016-2017 school year. He will lead Les Petits Chanteurs during religious celebrations at Saint Joseph's Oratory as well as in all other concerts of the organization. We wish him much success for the seasons ahead with PCMR.
38 year of exceptional service
Gilbert Patenaude retires after an exceptional contribution of 38 years at the helm of des Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal, an organization that he helped develop greatly, especially on international fronts. Throughout his extraordinary journey, he has trained and directed over a thousand singers. His love of the French language and the precision of his choral conducting and teaching work are well known. Under his leadership, Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal have represented Saint Joseph's Oratory, Montreal around the world and participated in two World Fairs (Canada 1986 and Korea 1993).
About Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal
As the appointed choir of Saint Joseph's Oratory, Montréal, Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal have been part of Quebec's cultural landscape since 1956 and celebrate their 60th anniversary in 2016. Having acquired an international reputation, they form a high-level ensemble and are regularly invited to participate in concerts with symphony orchestra, operas, film music, radio and television broadcasts. They have toured extensively in Canada, the United States, Europe and elsewhere in the world. The group has several recordings to its credit and, in October 2015, Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal launched its latest album for chorus and organ devoted to composers Vierne and Widor.
Source: www.pcmr.ca
SOURCE Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal
PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2015/12/22/20151222_C8159_PDF_EN_588502.pdf
Johanne Chantal, Executive Director, 514 733-8216 ext. 2561
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