(b. 6 September 1932, Arvida, Saguenay, Québec – d. 27 July 2017, Montréal, Québec).
Canadian composer of mostly orchestral, chamber and choral works that have been performed throughout the world.
Prof. Tremblay studied privately with Jocelyne Binet, Edmond Trudel and Gabriel Cusson in the mid-1940s, then studied piano with Germaine Malépart at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal from 1949–54, where he earned a premier prix in 1953. He studied composition privately with Claude Champagne and had a decisive meeting with Edgard Varèse in New York, New York during this time. He studied analysis with Olivier Messiaen, composition and piano with Yvonne Loriod and Ondes Martenot with Maurice Martenot at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris from 1954–61, where he earned a premier prix in 1957 and a première médaille in Ondes Martenot in 1958. In addition, he earned a licence in counterpoint at the École Normale de Musique de Paris.
Among his honours were the Prix Calixa-Lavallée Prix (1967, for Sonorisation du Pavillon du Québec) and a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts (1972, for travel to Asia).
He was also active in other positions. He served as host of the radio programme Festivals in Montréal.
He taught at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal from 1961–98.
His primary publishers are Berandol Music, Éditions Durand-Salabert-Eschig and Éditions Transatlantiques.
SELECT LIST OF WORKS
STAGE:
UN 9 (théâtre musical), mime, 2 trumpets, 2 percussion, 1987
ORCHESTRAL:
Cantique de durées, 1960
Jeux de solstices, flute, clarinet, trumpet, violin, orchestra, 1974
Fleuves, large orchestra, 1976
Compostelle I, clarinet, small orchestra (17 players), 1978
Vers le soleil, small orchestra (25 players), 1978
Katadrone : contrecri, large orchestra (63 players), 1988
Musique du feu, piano, symphonic band, 1991
L'Arbre de Borobudur, French horn, 2 harps, double bass, Ondes Martenot, 2 percussion, gamelan, 1994
Traversée (concerto), flute, orchestra, 1996
Les Pierres crieront, cello, large orchestra, 1998
En Partage (concerto), viola, orchestra, 2002
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Mobile, violin, piano, 1962
Champs I, piano, 2 percussion, 1965, revised 1969
Souffles : Champs II, piano, ensemble (2 flutes [both + piccolo], oboe, clarinet, French horn, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, double bass, 2 percussion), 1967
Vers : Champs III, 2 flutes (1st + piccolo), clarinet, French horn, trumpet, 3 violins, double bass, 3 percussion, 1969
...le sifflement des vents porteurs de l'amour, amplified flute, amplified percussion, 1971
Solstices (ou Les Jours et Les Saisons tournent), flute, clarinet, French horn, double bass, 2 percussion, 1971
Le Signe du Lion, French horn, tam-tam, 1981
Envoi (concerto), piano, ensemble (2 flutes [1st + piccolo], clarinet, bass clarinet, French horn, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 2 violins, double bass, 3 percussion), 1982
Envol : Alléluia, flute, 1984
Triojubilus (à Raphaël), flute, harp, cowbells (1 player), 1985
Cèdres en voiles (Thrène pour le Liban), cello, 1989
Aubes (ou initial), bass flute, double bass, percussion, 1990
Quatuor à cordes, 'Croissant', string quartet, 2001
CHORAL:
Matines pour la Vierge, mixed chorus, ensemble, 1954
Les Vêpres de la Vierge, soprano, 2 mixed choruses (44 voices total), 3 flutes (all + piccolo), 2 oboes (both + English horn), 2 trumpets, trombone, double bass, positive organ, 3 percussion, 1985
Avec, wampum symphonique, soprano, bass, speaker, mixed chorus, orchestra, 1992
L'Espace du cur (Miron-Machaut), 12/24 mixed voices, percussion, 1997
VOCAL:
Kékoba (text from a source in Latin, arranged by the composer), soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, Ondes Martenot, percussion, 1965
Oralléluiants (text from the Pentecostal Mass), amplified soprano, amplified ensemble (flute, bass clarinet, French horn, 3 double basses, 2/3 percussion), 1974
DZEI (voies de feu) (text by Heraclitus), soprano, flute, bass clarinet, piano, percussion, 1982
À quelle heure commence le temps ? (text by Bernard Lévy), bass-baritone, piano, ensemble (flute [+ piccolo], oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 2 percussion), 2000
PIANO:
Phases, 1956
Réseaux, 1958
Traçantes, auprès, au loin, 1976
ORGAN:
Vers une éltoile (Compostelle II), 1993
ELECTROACOUSTIC:
Exercice I, fixed media, 1959
Exercice II, fixed media, 1960
Sonorisation du Pavillon du Québec, fixed media (24 tracks), 1967
MULTIMEDIA:
L'Appel de Kondiaronk : symphonie portuaire (environmental work), battle sirens, 2 locomotives, 2000
FILM SCORE (DIRECTOR):
Dimensions soleils, fixed media, 1970 (Raymond Brousseau)