Edmond Trudel

Trudel, Edmond

(Joseph Jean) Edmond Trudel. Pianist, conductor, teacher, composer, b St-Roch (Quebec City) 10 Apr 1892, d Quebec City 13 Sep 1977. He studied 1912-15 at the Paris Cons with Félix Fourdrain (composition, harmony), Alfredo Casella, Joaquin Nin, and Lazare Lévy (piano). He also took courses with Alfred Cortot. On his return to Canada in 1915 he was appointed choirmaster at St-Sauveur Church in Quebec City. He also organized chamber music concerts with Omer Létourneau, P. Ernest Lavigne, and Robert Talbot. In 1921 he went to Paris to study orchestral conducting with André Caplet and later with Paul Paray, and a grant from the Quebec government in 1924 enabled him to stay until 1928. He then settled in Montreal where 1928-9 he conducted operettas at the St-Denis Theatre.

Trudel was music director 1929-30 at radio station CKAC and the CKAC series 'L'Heure provinciale' and 'Syrup Symphonies' 1931-7. With Alexander Brott and Jean Belland he founded the Montreal Trio in the early 1930s. At the CRBC and later the CBC he frequently served as a conductor or pianist.

Trudel conducted the CSM (MSO) for three seasons 1935-8. After one of his concerts, La Presse wrote: 'His very French way of understanding and viewing a score, the concern for detail which never allows him to lose sight of the unity of a work, his highly developed sense of colour and contrast were all noted and strongly applauded' (5 Feb 1935).

Trudel taught 1943-56 at the CMM and served 1944-7 and 1950-2 as president of the AMQ. Among his pupils were Monique Fournier, François Morel, Gilles Tremblay, and Ronald Turini. He composed some religious works. His papers are held at the ANQ in Quebec City.