Manny, Gilles. Pianist, teacher, administrator, b Montauban, near Trois-Rivières, Que, 6 Aug 1929; premier prix piano (CMM) 1950. He studied at the CMM with Yvonne Hubert (piano) and Jean Papineau-Couture (harmony), receiving the Prix Archambault in 1948. On a scholarship from the Quebec government, he completed his training 1952-8 in Paris with Antoine Reboulot. He has been heard in many CBC and ORTF broadcasts and has performed frequently in Montreal, notably at the University of Montreal Nocturnales (late evening concerts) and with the SMCQ. Though his repertoire spans all periods he is much in demand for performances of 20th-century music. He was the pianist in Messiaen's Turangalîla-Symphonie with the ORTF Orchestra at PDA in September 1967 and in the same composer's Oiseaux exotiques (1969) and Berg's Kammerkonzert (1970) for the SMCQ. His recordings of André Prévost's Sonata and Papineau-Couture's Concerto won prizes at the Festival du disque in Montreal, in 1965 and 1969 respectively. In 1967 Manny began teaching at the University of Montreal where he was 1968-73 vice-dean of music, in which capacity he collaborated on research and inquiries into the teaching of the arts in Quebec. He was Papineau-Couture's successor, 1973-9, as dean, following which he resumed his teaching duties. His pupils include Élisabeth Gallat-Morin and William Tritt.

Author Pierre Rochon