Claire Grenon-Masella

She obtained a teaching diploma in piano from the École Vincent-d'Indy, where her teachers were Paul Loyonnet and Sister Rachel-Yvonne. She studied singing with Louise André and in 1956 won the Prix Archambault. In 1961, during the International Week of Today's Music, she premiered Serge Garant's Anerca under the baton of Mauricio Kagel. She was heard in CBC radio performances of Rossini's Petite Messe solennelle in 1961 and Debussy's Le Martyre de saint Sébastien and Boris Blacher's The Tide (Die Flut), the latter on 'CBC Wednesday Night,' in 1962. She also sang on the radio program 'Récital' and in several of CBC TV's 'Heure du concert' opera productions, including Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites in 1960 and (as Judith) Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle in 1962. She was a soloist with the MSO in Mahler's Symphony No. 2 in 1965 and in pop concerts in 1966 and 1967. In 1967, she participated in a concert of the Society of Canadian Music (works of Anhalt, Contant, Freedman and Pépin), and appeared as guest artist with the McGill Chamber Orchestra. She has recorded with the Montreal Bach Choir (e.g., soloist in Byrd's Mass in 4 Parts) and the Petit Ensemble vocal, groups with which she became associated in 1956. She began teaching theory in 1970 and voice in 1977 at the Conservatoire de Hull. Her husband was the French-horn player Paul Masella.