Background
Vézina, born in 1849, was the son of François Vézina, a house painter and amateur musician who taught his son to play the piano.
composer conductor music educator musicologist
Vézina, born in 1849, was the son of François Vézina, a house painter and amateur musician who taught his son to play the piano.
As a youngster, Vézina briefly studied under Calixa Lavallée but, for the most part, he was a self-taught musician.
Vézina is buried in the Cimetière Notre-Dame-de-Belmont in Sainte-Foy. Vézina"s work as a musician began in military bands. In 1867, he joined the Voltigeurs de Québec and played the baritone horn for the Voltigeurs" band.
He took over the duty of bandmaster in 1868 and held it until 1879.
Vézina later went on to found and direct a number of military, amateur and professional orchestras, most notably the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec in 1902. On June 24, 1880, he conducted the first performance of O Canada which eventually became Canada"s national anthem.
His work includes three opéra comique: Le Lauréat (1906) — libretto by Félix-Gabriel Marchand — Le Rajah (1910) and Le Fétiche (1912). He died before completing a fourth opera: Louisiana Grosse Gerbe, adapted from a poem of Léon-Pamphile Le May.
He helped found the music school of Laval University in 1922 and taught there until his death.
His notable pupils included Henri Gagnon and Robert Talbot.