Pierre Hétu
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Pierre Hétu (born April 22, 1936 in Montreal, Quebec, died December 3, 1998 in Montreal), Canadian conductor and pianist.
He studied in Paris with Marcel Ciampi (piano) and Edouard Lindenberg (conducting), and in 1961, following studies with Sergiu Celibidache, he won the Concours International de Jeunes Chefs d'Orchestre in Besançon. He subsequently studied under Charles Munch, Jean Martinon, and Hans Swarowsky.
Hétu made his Canadian debut in 1963, conducting the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and was appointed the orchestra’s Assistant Conductor (1963-1968). He was Music Director of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra in Michigan (1968-1972), Associate Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (1970-1973), and Artistic Director of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (1973-1979).
Hétu unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons in 1988. From 1991 to 1994, he taught conducting at the University of Toronto where he also conducted the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra. His final performances were in October 1998 conducting Samson et Dalila by Saint-Saëns in New Orleans.
| Preceded by: Lawrence Leonard |
Music Directors, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra 1973–1981 |
Succeeded by: Uri Mayer |
[edit] References
Rochon, Pierre; Nygaard King, Betty. Pierre Hétu. Encyclopedia of Music in Canada.
Baker, D.T. Edmonton Symphony History. Edmonton Symphony Orchestra website.
