Louis Gravel

Gravel, Louis

Louis Gravel. Baritone, teacher, b Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, near Quebec City, 30 Mar 1895, d 22 Dec 1977. He received his first solfège and singing lessons from his father, a member of the choir at the Basilica of Ste-Anne. He studied at the École normale in Quebec City with J.-Arthur Bernier and 1916-18 at the New York Institute of Musical Art with Frank Damrosch and Adrian Freni. He was choirmaster at St John the Baptist Church in Pawtucket, RI, and sang the roles of Valentin (Faust) and Laërte (Mignon) with the Woonsocket Opera. Returning to Quebec, he was choirmaster 1920-70 at Notre-Dame-de-Jacques-Cartier Church. In 1924 a Quebec government scholarship allowed him to study in Paris with Édouard Rouard of the Opéra and with Mme Garnier. When Rouard left Paris, Gravel accompanied him to Nice, where they gave several concerts. He travelled throughout Canada with the pianist Berthe Roy. He taught Léonard Bilodeau, Rolande Dion, Raoul Jobin, Guy Lepage, Fernand Martel, and Richard Verreau.