Marcelle Deschênes

Marcelle Deschênes was born near Rimouski, Quebec. She graduated with a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Montreal, studying from 1963 to 1967 with Jean Papineau-Couture and Serge Garant. She continued her education in France with François Bayle, Henri Chiarucci, and Guy Reibel of the Groupe de Recherches musicales de Paris.^[2] She also studied audio-visual techniques at the Pierre Schaeffer's Conservatoire and analysis at the École César-Franck with Olivier Alain. At the University of Paris, she studied with Daniel Charles, Claude Laloum and Jean-Étienne Marie.^[3]

While completing her studies, Deschênes created several multi-media works. She returned to Canada in 1971 and took a teaching and research position at the electronic music studio of Laval University, where she helped organize a sound library and composed the soundtracks for several films. In 1979 she founded the electroacoustic studio Bruit Blanc.

In 1980 Deschênes took a position as professor of music at the University of Montreal, teaching the composition of electroacoustic music.^[4][5][6] In collaboration with visual artists,^[7] she continued to create and exhibit multimedia projects, including OPÉRAaaaAH! in 1983.^[8]

• First prize for mixed-media music at the sixth Concours international de musique électroacoustique in Bourges in 1978^[9]
• Gold medal at the Multi-Images international competition in Munich (1989)^[10]

Deschênes composes multimedia works and film soundtracks. Selected works include:

• 11⁄2 (1966)
• Voz (cantate mitrailleuse) (1968)
• 7+7+7+7 ou aussi progressions sur la circonférence du jaune au rouge par l'orange ou du rouge au bleu par le violet, ou même embrassant le pourtour total (1968)
• Talilalilalilalarequiem (1970)
• Amertube film soundtrack (1973)
• Le Phasé mou film soundtrack (1973)
• Le Port de Montréal film soundtrack (1975)
• Moll, Opéra-Lilliput pour six roches molles (1976)
• OPÉRAaaaAH! (1983)
• L'Écran humain, (1983)
• deUSirae (1985)
• Lux (1985) in collaboration with Renée Bourassa
• Big Bang (1987)
• Noël réinventé (1988)
• Ludi (1990), opera-theatre work with Renée Bourassa

Her works have been recorded and issued on CD, including:

• Big Bang II (1990)
• Halogènes (1991)