Linda Bouchard » Biography

Val d’Or, Québec, 1957

• Composer

French Canadian Linda Bouchard has composed over 60 works in a variety of genres, from orchestral and chamber works to dance scores, concerti, and vocal pieces. Her works have been heard extensively on both sides of the Atlantic and recorded by Marquis Classics, CBC and Analekta in Canada, ECM in Germany and CRI in the US. She has also been awarded a number of prizes in both the US and Canada. Bouchard graduated from Bennington College, where she studied with Henry Brant, and went on to live in New York City from 1979 to 1990 where she composed, led new music ensembles and made orchestral arrangements for the Washington Ballet, the St. Luke’s Orchestra and various churches in the Metropolitan area. She also was Assistant Conductor for the New York Children’s Free Opera from 1985 to 1988. She guest conducted the St. Luke’s Orchestra, the American Dance Festival, the New York New Music Ensemble, the Absolute Music Group and the New Music Consort.

In 1990, Bouchard returned to Canada for the premiere of her first orchestral work Elan, a commission of the New Music America Festival. From 1990 to 1992 she was guest conductor for the Université de Montréal’s Atelier de Musique Contemporaine, and served as artistic coordinator of Forum 91 for the NEM. From September 1992 to August 1995, Linda Bouchard held the position of Composer-in-Residence for the National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra in Ottawa. During her residency, she composed five orchestral works and organized twentieth-century music events and festivals. In 1997, Bouchard received the Prix Opus in the “Composer of the Year” category (an award given by the Conseil Quebecois de la Musique) and the Joseph S. Stauffer Prize from the Canada Council. In June 2001, Ms. Bouchard was invited to participate at IRCAM’s music technology workshop in Paris. During the spring of 2003, her new opera “the House of Words” was the object of a workshop, and later performed at New York University’s Experimental Theatre Wings. More recently, Standing Waves premiered “Liquid States” last fall in Vancouver. “RingRoundRozi”, a tape collage dance score, created with the help of MaxMSP software, is currently being performed in San Francisco by the ODC Dance company (March 3 - 20, 2005) at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

Her outstanding commissions are for the Canadian trio, Bellows and Brass, and Duo Concertante, for Newfoundland and American pianist Sarah Cahill. Ms. Bouchard has resided in San Francisco since the spring of 1997.