Joseph Gagnier (5 April 1854 – 9 April 1919) was a Canadian
clarinetist and the father of an important Canadian family of musicians.
Life and career
Born in
L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec
L'Ancienne-Lorette is a city in central Quebec, Canada. It is a suburb of and an enclave within Quebec City. It was merged with Quebec City on January 1, 2002 as part of a 2000–2006 municipal reorganization in Quebec, but, after a 2004 referen ...
, Gagnier moved to Montreal in 1874 after deciding to pursue a music career. In that city he studied the clarinet with Oscar Arnold and Jacques Vanpoucke. He was also a student of
music theory with Joseph Geai and
Ernest Lavigne.
Gagnier began his career performing in the orchestras of a variety of Montreal theatres during the late 1870s and 1880s. From 1890-1919 he was clarinetist at
Sohmer Park. In the 1905-1906 season he, along with his son
J.-J. Gagnier
Jean-Josaphat Gagnier (2 December 1885 – 16 September 1949) was a Canadian conducting, conductor, composer, clarinetist, bassoonist, pianist, arts administrator, and music educator. His compositional output mainly consists of works for orchestr ...
, became a bassoonist in
J.-J. Goulet's Montreal Symphony Orchestra, following the ensemble's unsuccessful attempt to acquire two bassoonists among the city's other musicians. He continued to play with that orchestra as a clarinetist up into the latter years of his life. He died in Montreal in 1919.
Gagnier was the father of 27 children. He taught music and a variety of instruments to most of them, "thus forming a veritable Gagnier orchestra". Many of his children became notable musicians, including
Armand Gagnier,
Ernest Gagnier,
Guillaume Gagnier,
J.-J. Gagnier
Jean-Josaphat Gagnier (2 December 1885 – 16 September 1949) was a Canadian conducting, conductor, composer, clarinetist, bassoonist, pianist, arts administrator, and music educator. His compositional output mainly consists of works for orchestr ...
,
Lucien Gagnier,
Réal Gagnier, and
René Gagnier
René Gagnier (30 May 1892 – 25 May 1951) was a Canadian conductor, composer, euphonium player, violinist, and music educator. His compositional output includes several marches, waltzes, works for solo violin, and some chamber and symphon ...
. Several of his grandchildren became notable musicians, including
Claire Gagnier
Claire Gagnier (March 28, 1924 – December 25, 2022) was a Canadian soprano singer from Quebec.
Life and career
Gagnier was born in Montreal on March 28, 1924, and took voice lessons from . In 1944, she won first prize on the Canadian Broadcast ...
,
Ève Gagnier,
Gérald Gagnier, and
Roland Gagnier.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gagnier, Joseph
1854 births
1919 deaths
Canadian classical bassoonists
Canadian clarinetists
Canadian music educators
19th-century classical musicians