Lucien Sicotte

Sicotte, Lucien

Sicotte, Lucien. Violinist, teacher, b Montreal 22 Sep 1902, d there 23 Sep 1943. He studied violin in turn with Émile Taranto, Alfred De Sève, and Maurice Onderet and theory with Oscar O'Brien and Claude Champagne. With the founding in 1934 of the CSM (MSO), he became assistant to the concertmaster Albert Chamberland. Together in 1935 they played Bach's Concerto in D Minor for two violins and orchestra and Sicotte was soloist 17 Nov 1938 in the Beethoven Concerto under Sir Ernest MacMillan. He was second violin in the Dubois String Quartet during three periods between 1922 and 1936. He also appeared in public recital and was frequently heard on radio. His repertoire included sonatas by Franck, Beethoven, and others. In 1934 he founded the Montreal String Quartet in which he played first violin. He commuted to New York in 1936 for lessons with Louis Persinger and in 1937 spent six months in Brussels with Alfred Dubois, returning then to the CSM, the quartet, solo work, and teaching. In 1939 he attended Georges Enesco's interpretation classes in Paris, but his return to Canada was hastened by the onset of World War II. With the dissolution of the quartet (1939?) he continued to perform in concert and on radio and to teach. His pupils included Gilles Baillargeon and Jean Vallerand. Jean Papineau-Couture's Sonata in G (1944) is dedicated to Sicotte's memory.