Honorary degree citation - Angèle Dubeau
By: Liselyn Adams, June 2015
Brava! Et merci pour cette remarquable prestation. Thank you.
Mr. Chancellor, I am pleased to present to you Mme Angèle Dubeau, an acclaimed classical violinist whose exceptional musical ability has brought her to record 39 albums in career and captivate audiences around the world.
Artiste d’ici, Mme Dubeau s’est bâti une réputation internationale au cours des quatre dernières décennies. Elle compte parmi les violonistes virtuoses les plus en vue de sa génération.
From the small town of Saint-Norbert, Québec, she began her education at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal, where she obtained a Premier Prix in violin at age 15 and a Premier Prix in Chamber Music one year later. This is the level of a Master’s degree, twice over by the age of 16. She went on to the prestigious Julliard School of Music in New York, and then studied at the Bucharest Conservatory, during very difficult times in Romania. Ms. Dubeau has replied “challenge accepted” to rather daunting opportunities since a very early age.
Son fidèle instrument – un stradivarius de 1733 – en main, Angèle Dubeau est montée sur les plus prestigieuses scènes du monde. Elle a joué, entre autres, pour de grandes personnalités influentes telles que Nelson Mandala, Deng Xiaoping, pour le Maire de Shanghai, Han Zheng lors de l’Exposition Universelle, pour le roi de la Thaïlande et la Reine Elizabeth II.
En 1997, elle a fondé l’orchestre à cordes féminin La Pietà. Cet ensemble musical réputé maîtrise un large répertoire – du baroque italien aux compositeurs modernes, dont Philip Glass, et même jusqu’à la musique des jeux vidéos.
As a recording artist, both solo and with La Pietà, Ms. Dubeau has sold over half a million albums, making her one of Canada’s most successful classical musicians.
Driven by a desire to bring classical music to a wider audience, Ms. Dubeau has been a pioneer in programming gala concerts and television productions at Radio-Canada. In 1995, she created, directed and hosted a popular weekly television program called Faites vos gammes, showcasing young musicians. “Practice your scales” is good advice for all young people!
Depuis 1995, elle dirige et anime la Fête de la musique, à Mont-Tremblant. Ce festival attire annuellement plus de 35 000 mélomanes.
Saluée à maintes reprises pour ses réalisations hors du commun et sa contribution exceptionnelle aux arts et à la culture, Mme Dubeau est notamment officière de l’Ordre du Canada et chevalière de l’Ordre national du Québec.
I am pleased to have this opportunity to introduce such an exceptional musician, having grown up both practicing my own scales and hearing my brother slowly master the difficulties of the violin. The violin is both a formidable taskmaster and a granter of the sweetest rewards. Ms. Dubeau showers us with the latter, entirely due to her dedication to the former.
Mr. Chancellor, on behalf of the Senate and the Board of Governors, it is my privilege and honour to present to you Angèle Dubeau, so that you may confer upon her the degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa.
