Joane Hétu
Born in Montreal in 1958, where she has always lived and worked, Joane Hétu is a musician, composer, improviser, conductor, cultural worker, and manager. Winner of the prestigious 2006 Freddie Stone Award for her involvement in Canadian creative music, Hétu wields her two instruments, voice and alto saxophone, combining the flexibility of one with the urgency of the other in her unique symbiosis. She leads the noise choir Joker, which she founded in 2012 and for whom she created works such as Où est-il donc ce rêve? (2014), Langoureusengagée (2017), and Les lucioles (2019). Since 1998, she has co-directed the Ensemble SuperMusique (a group of 6 to 20 musicians) with Danielle Palardy Roger, propelling the creation and interpretation of graphic scores and conducting gestures in improvised music to the forefront. An ardent enthusiast of contemporary and improvised music, she has hosted the Mercredimusics series with Jean Derome and Lori Freedman since 2001.
In recent years, she has composed for Ensemble SuperMusique, Quatuor Bozzini, Now Orchestra, Quasar saxophone quartet, and Instruments of Happiness. With Jean Derome, she forms the magical duo Nous perçons les oreilles, and she leads the quintet Castor et compagnie, dedicated to bawdy and amorous songs. Hétu has presented her music for 40 years in festivals, tours, and concert series both in Canada and internationally. She is also the founder and director of the 1 record label DAME (Distributions Ambiances Magnétiques Etcetera, 1991), co-artistic director of Productions SuperMusique (1980), and a founding member of the Ambiances Magnétiques label. Her discography includes around fifty albums.
Awards: Freddie Stone Award 2006 Prix Opus 2015-16: Artistic Director of the Year Prix Opus 2020-21: Concert of the Year — Current Music, Electroacoustic — Mention of Excellence Prix Opus 2022-23: Concert of the Year — Current Music, Electroacoustic Prix Opus 2023-24: Concert of the Year — Current Music, Electroacoustic Prix Opus 2023-24: Concert of the Year — Current Music, Electroacoustic — finalist
Born in Montreal in 1958, where she has always lived and worked, Joane Hétu is a musician, composer, improviser, conductor, cultural worker, and manager. Winner of the prestigious 2006 Freddie Stone Award for her involvement in Canadian creative music, Hétu wields her two instruments, voice and alto saxophone, combining the flexibility of one with the urgency of the other in her unique symbiosis. She leads the noise choir Joker, which she founded in 2012 and for whom she created works such as Où est-il donc ce rêve? (2014), Langoureusengagée (2017), and Les lucioles (2019). Since 1998, she has co-directed the Ensemble SuperMusique (a group of 6 to 20 musicians) with Danielle Palardy Roger, propelling the creation and interpretation of graphic scores and conducting gestures in improvised music to the forefront. An ardent enthusiast of contemporary and improvised music, she has hosted the Mercredimusics series with Jean Derome and Lori Freedman since 2001.
In recent years, she has composed for Ensemble SuperMusique, Quatuor Bozzini, Now Orchestra, Quasar saxophone quartet, and Instruments of Happiness. With Jean Derome, she forms the magical duo Nous perçons les oreilles, and she leads the quintet Castor et compagnie, dedicated to bawdy and amorous songs. Hétu has presented her music for 40 years in festivals, tours, and concert series both in Canada and internationally. She is also the founder and director of the 1 record label DAME (Distributions Ambiances Magnétiques Etcetera, 1991), co-artistic director of Productions SuperMusique (1980), and a founding member of the Ambiances Magnétiques label. Her discography includes around fifty albums.
Awards: Freddie Stone Award 2006 Prix Opus 2015-16: Artistic Director of the Year Prix Opus 2020-21: Concert of the Year — Current Music, Electroacoustic — Mention of Excellence Prix Opus 2022-23: Concert of the Year — Current Music, Electroacoustic Prix Opus 2023-24: Concert of the Year — Current Music, Electroacoustic Prix Opus 2023-24: Concert of the Year — Current Music, Electroacoustic — finalist