LECLAIR François-Hugues

François-Hugues Leclair, born in Montreal in 1962, began his studies with Serge Garant at Université de Montréal (1985-86), then in France at Conservatoire de Strasbourg (1990-95) and Conservatoire de La Courneuve (1996-98) (with Klaus Huber and Jean- François Zygel), and finally completed a Doctorate in composition with Michel Longtin at Université de Montréal, where he was engaged as Professor in composition and music theory (2002). His compositional work is structured around two essential axis in relation: - firstly, the exploration of crossings between ancient musics and contemporary musical langages : Au regard de «Mille regrets», Trois sonnets on poems from La Boétie, (for choir and strings), Leopardi Madrigale / Missa Terrae, O magnum Mysterium, Magnificat, Miserere mei Deus (for choir) / Alas my love (for clarinet and string quartet) / Esquisses (for traverso and harpsichord) / Ultimo orizzonte (for Viols Consort and Recorders Consort) 

- secondly, the creation of multiple relations between literature and music (in musical tale, musical drama, instrumental poem, poly-choral writing,...), hence the importance of vocal music in his catalogue, nourished by a long practice of vocal polyphony between 2005 and 2018 with Ensemble Kô, who has premiered many of his choral works. He is inspired by significant poets and writers in his vocal and instrumental works as well : Matsuo Bashô, Marie-Claire Blais, Christian Bobin, Robert Desnos, Emily Dickinson, Paul Eluard, Anne Hébert, Hermann Hesse, James Joyce, Novalis, Rilke, Senghor, Marie Uguay, Paul Verlaine, Gao Xing Jian,...