Joseph-Jean Goulet

Joseph-Jean Goulet (born February 22, 1870 in Liège , † July 8, 1951 in Montreal ) was a Belgian - Canadian violinist, conductor and music teacher.

Goulet graduated from the Conservatory in Liège with first prizes in solfège, harmony, counterpoint, violin and chamber music. He then studied music theory with Sylvain Dupuis and Théodore Radoux and violin with Ovide Musin and Désiré Heynberg .

In 1891, at the invitation of Ernest Lavigne , he came to Canada in 1891 as concertmaster of the Sohmer Park Orchestra. He was also conductor of the Opéra francais from 1893 to 1895 . In 1894 he became concertmaster of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Guillaume Couture , whose successor he was in 1898. Between 1895 and 1921 he was also choirmaster at various churches in Montreal ( St-Joseph 1895–98: St-Sacrement 1898–1913; Notre-Dame , 1914–18; St-Eusèbe-de-Verceil 1918–21).

In 1900 he founded the Goulet String Quartet with Isaac Silverstone (second violin), Otto Zimmerman (viola) and Louis Charbonneau (cello). He also formed the Haydn Trio with Émery Lavigne and Jean-Baptiste Dubois .

Goulet has taught at Mont-St-Louis College since 1904, and since 1907 he has given public solfège courses at Monument national , a cultural center in Montreal. From 1910 to 1950 he was the conductor of a military band ( Fusiliers Mont-Royal Band ) and 1933-34 President of the Canadian Band Association (CBA). In 1937 he founded the Les Disciples de Mozart orchestra club .

Goulet composed a number of works for military band, the march Wilfrid Pelletier was premiered under his direction in 1935. He was awarded the Ordre de Léopold II in Belgium and as Officier d'Académie in France and received a prize from the CBA in 1951.

His brother Jean Goulet was also known as a violinist and conductor, his nephew Charles Goulet was a singer, choir conductor and impresario.