Jean Deslauriers
Canadian conductor, violinist, and composer
Who was Jean Deslauriers?
Jean Deslauriers (24 June 1909 – 30 May 1978) was a Canadian conductor, violinist, and composer. He is the father of soprano Yolande Deslauriers-Husaruk. Born in Montreal, Deslauriers was a child prodigy and began his career as a concert violinist as a young teenager. As a conductor he had a long and fruitful partnership with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; conducting orchestras for feature films and television and radio programs for more than 40 years. He also worked as a guest conductor with orchestras and opera companies throughout Canada and served on the conducting staff of the Opéra du Québec. The Canadian Encyclopedia describes him as "a conductor with a sober but efficient technique, who was always faithful to the written score [and] equally at ease conducting concerts, opera, and lighter repertoire." His best-known compositions are his Prélude for strings and the song, La Musique des yeux.
Historical significance
He studied the violin with Émile Taranto and Camille Couture. He notably gave annual concert tours with singers Paul Dufault and Joseph Saucier in Canada and the United States between 1924 and 1929.