A WORD FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Ever since my childhood, I have always been fascinated by music and rapidly the organ caught my attention. My career as Professor at McGill University offers me the privilege of contributing to the training of young organists.

Parallel to this, my career as concert artist has allowed me to foster close ties with great organists around the world, many of whom have become close friends.

With so many elements playing in favour of Montreal, the creation of an international organ competition became obvious. I predict that October 2008 will be memorable in our country’s history of the organ!

BIOGRAPHY

John Grew is a leading figure among Canadian organists. He is the University Organist and chair of the organ area at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University. His teaching career has spanned over thirty years. He established the Early Music program, the largest of its kind in Canada. In 2005, he received the Distinguished Teaching Award from McGill University in recognition of his outstanding achievements with his students.

He is also the founder and artistic director of the McGill Summer Organ Academy. Among his many accomplishments was his collaboration with Hellmuth Wolff in the planning of the French classical organ at Redpath Hall, one of Montreal's most important concert venues. John Grew was Dean of the Faculty of Music at McGill from 1991 to 1996.

John Grew's teachers have included Maitland Farmer, Marilyn Mason, Kenneth Gilbert, Marie-Claire Alain and Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini. He was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and held several Artist Awards from the Canada Council during his studies. In 1970 he was unanimously awarded the First Medal at the Geneva International Organ Competition. He has concertized extensively in Europe and North America both as organist and harpsichordist. He has made numerous broadcast recordings, has appeared as soloist with distinguished chamber orchestras and frequently invited as a guest lecturer.

In 1986, John Grew founded, in his native province of Nova Scotia, Musique Royale, an early music festival for which he is still musical advisor. John Grew has received several honorary doctorates, is frequently invited to give master classes and has served on the juries for numerous international competition. His recordings have been received with critical acclaim. John Grew's artistry is best described by a critic for London's "Daily Telegraph" who wrote "...it takes an artist of Mr. Grew's exceptional quality to stress the scale, variety and eloquence of Couperin ... he relishes the music's gravity and boldly-questioning manner."


Executive Director : René Fréchette

Born in Drummondville, René Fréchette received his bachelor in business administration from the Université de Sherbrooke in 1983. His career led him to arts administration where he has developed with enthusiasm several large-scale projects for established organizations. He has actively involved himself in his community, namely for the Drummond Chamber of Commerce and with other cultural and recreotouristic organisations.

Before joining the CIOC, René Fréchette was executive and artistic director of the Mondial des Cultures de Drummondville, an international festival founded in 1982. During his eight-year mandate, the event saw its operations budget double, in addition to increasing its credibility amongst the major international events in Quebec. He has always been dedicated to reconciling the artistic mission and the financial prerogatives, both ever so necessary to the harmonious development of any organisation.


Marketing and Communications Director : Dina Barghout

Born in Lebanon, and having previously lived in France, Dina Barghout immigrated in 1992 to Canada where she obtained a Bachelors degree in Political Science and Foreign Languages from McGill University in 1999. She also holds an MBA from HEC Montréal and a Masters degree in Translation from the Université de Montréal.

During her studies, Dina was also awarded a graduate level certificate in international marketing and business administration from EGADE University in Monterrey, Mexico. Thanks to her international experiences and studies, Dina is fluent in several languages.

Before joining the CIOC, Dina previously worked as a communications specialist for UPS, and as a communications and marketing consultant for both Rockland Centre and the Ivanhoe Cambridge head office.


Assistant to the Executive Director : Susan Stevenson

Susan Stevenson has close ties with the Montreal organ music scene with direct experience in a local church’s highly regarded music programme. Her responsibilities in that connection included oversight in the care and upkeep of a 1932 Casavant organ.

Susan comes to CIOC with a strong background in communications, publishing and technical writing. For over 15 years she was a prize-winning member of the editorial staff of the trade magazine Pulp& Paper Canada. From 1994 to 2004 she was Editor and Communications Specialist at the Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada. There she led development of communications programs for the Institute, was instrumental in producing the company’s first website and in enhancing its corporate image.

Susan has a B.A. in Social Administration from Nottingham University, and an M.S.W. from Edinburgh University.