Jacques Hétu (August 8, 1938, Trois-Riviere, Quebec, Canada - February 9, 2010, Saint-Hippolyte, Quebec, Canada) studied at the University of Ottawa where he was a pupil of Jules Martel from 1955 to 1956. After this, he attended the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec à Montréal throough 1961, where his teachers includedh Melvin Berman (oboe), Isabelle Delorme (harmony), Jean Papineau-Couture (fugue), Clermont Pépin (composition and counterpoint), and Georges Savaria (piano). In the summer of 1959 he also took composition lessons with Lukas Foss at Tanglewood Music Center, Lenox, MA. At the end of his time in the Conservatore, he won several awards, including the first prize at the Quebec Music Festivals composition competition, a grant from the Canada Council, and the Prix d'Europe. These honors enabled him to pursue studies at the École Normale de Musique de Paris, France, through 1963 with Henri Dutilleux and at the Paris Conservatory with Olivier Messiaen in the latter two years.
Hétu joined the music faculty at Laval University after this, through 1977. He taught composition at the University of Montreal in 1972–1973 and 1978–1979. From 1979 to 2000, he was a professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal, serving as Music Department director from 1980 to 1982 and 1986-1988.
He was nominated for Juno Award Best Classical Composition and made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (1989,) and made an Officer of the Order of Canada (2001).
After his death from lung cancer, he was survived by his wife, Jeanne Desaulnier, and five children. The next month -- on March 3, 2010 -- The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Peter Oundjian, premiered his Symphony No. 5, Op. 81.
Works List
Toccata, Op. 1, 1959
Symphonie pour cordes, string orchestra, Op. 2, 1959
Adagio et Rondo, string quartet, Op. 3 No. 1, 1960
Adagio et Rondo, string orchestra, Op. 3 No. 1a, 1960
Trio, flute, oboe, harpsichord, Op. 3 No. 2, 1960
Symphonie No. 2, large orchestra, Op. 4, 1961
Prélude, large orchestra, Op. 5, 1961
Sonate pour deux pianos, 2 pianos, Op. 6, 1962
Petite Suite, Op. 7, 1962
Variations pour piano, Op. 8, 1964
Rondo, cello, string orchestra, Op. 9, 1967
Quatre Pièces, flute, piano, Op. 10, 1965
Variations pour violon seul, violin, Op. 11, 1967
(also versions as Variations pour alto seul, viola, Op. 11a, 1967;
Variations pour violoncelle seul, cello, Op. 11b, 1967)
Double Concerto, violin, piano, small orchestra, Op. 12, 1967
Quintette pour instruments à vent, flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon,
Op. 13, 1967
Quatuor à cordes No. 1, string quartet, Op. 19, 1972
L'Apocalypse, large orchestra, Op. 14, 1967
Concerto No. 1, piano, large orchestra, Op. 15, 1969
Cycle, piano, ensemble (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon,
horn, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones), Op. 16, 1969
Passacaille, large orchestra, Op. 17, 1970
Symphonie No. 3, Op. 18, 1971
Les Clartés de la nuit (text by Émile Nelligan), soprano, piano,
Op. 20, 1972 (also version for soprano, orchestra, Op. 20a, 1986)
Fantaisie, piano, large orchestra, Op. 21, 1973
Les Djinns (text by Victor Hugo), mixed chorus (24–32 voices),
mixed chorus (80–120 voices), piano, 6 percussion, Op. 22, 1975
Antinomie, Op. 23, 1977
Prélude et Danse, Op. 24, 1977
Rondo varié, violin, Op. 25, 1977
Nocturne, clarinet, piano, Op. 26, 1977
Aria, flute, piano, Op. 27, 1977
Incantation, oboe, piano, Op. 28, 1978
Lied, French horn, piano, Op. 29, 1978
Ballade, Op. 30, 1978
Élégie, bassoon, piano, Op. 31a, 1979
(version of second movement of Concerto, Op. 31)
Concerto, bassoon, small orchestra, Op. 31, 1979
(also version of second movement as Élégie, bassoon, piano, Op. 31a)
Mirages, Op. 34, 1981
Sonate pour piano, Op. 35, 1984
Les Abîmes du rêve (text by Émile Nelligan), bass, large orchestra,
Op. 36, 1982
Concerto, clarinet, small orchestra, Op. 37, 1983
Missa pro trecentesimo anno (text from the Mass),
mixed chorus, organ, orchestra, Op. 38, 1985
Quatre Interludes, Op. 38a, 1985
Symphonie concertante, flute, oboe, clarinet,
horn, bassoon, string orchestra, Op. 40, 1986
Suite, guitar, Op. 41, 1986
Variations pour orgue, Op. 42, 1986
Concerto, trumpet, small orchestra, Op. 43, 1987
(also version for trumpet, symphonic band, Op. 43a, 1994)
Images de la Révolution, large orchestra, Op. 44, 1988
Sérénade, flute, string quartet, Op. 45, 1988
Les Illusions fanées (text by Émile Nelligan), mixed chorus,
Op. 46, 1988
Poème, string orchestra, Op. 47, 1989
Concerto, Ondes Martenot, orchestra, Op. 49, 1990
Quatuor à cordes No. 2, string quartet, Op. 50, 1991
Concerto, flute, small orchestra, Op. 51, 1991
Le Tombeau de Nelligan, large orchestra, Op. 52, 1992
Le Prix (opera in 1 act, libretto by Yves Beauchemin),
2 sopranos, mezzo-soprano, 3 tenors, baritone, bass,
mixed chorus, orchestra, Op. 53, 1992
Scherzo, string quartet, Op. 54, 1992
Symphonie No. 4, Op. 55, 1993
Concerto, guitar, string orchestra, Op. 56, 1994
Concerto, trombone, orchestra, Op. 57, 1995
Sonate pour violon et piano, violin, piano, Op. 58, 1996
Fantaisie, Op. 59, 1996
Sonate pour 13 instruments, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon,
horn, trumpet, harp, violin, viola, cello, double bass, piano, harpsichord,
Op. 60, 1996
Concerto, marimba (+ vibraphone), string orchestra, Op. 61, 1997
Sérénade héroïque, French horn, large orchestra, Op. 62, 1998
Sonate pour violoncelle et piano, cello, piano, Op. 63, 1998
Concerto No. 2, piano, orchestra, Op. 64, 1999
Passage (text by the composer), mixed chorus, Op. 65, 1999
Hear my prayer, O Lord (text from Psalm 102), mixed chorus,
Op. 66, 2000
Fantaisie sur le nom de Bach, flute, Op. 67, 2001
Concerto, organ, large orchestra, Op. 68, 2001
Triple Concerto, violin, cello, piano, large orchestra, Op. 69, 2002
Impromptu, Op. 70, 2003
Sextuor à cordes, 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, Op. 71, 2004
Concerto, oboe (+ English horn), large orchestra, Op. 72, 2004
Trio, clarinet, cello, piano, Op. 73, 2005
Variations concertantes, large orchestra, Op. 74, 2005
Concerto, viola, small orchestra, Op. 75, 2006
Légendes, large orchestra, Op. 76, 2007
Concerto, 2 amplified guitars, small orchestra, Op. 77, 2007
Sur les rives du Saint-Maurice, Op. 78, 2008
Variations sur un thème de Mozart, 3 pianos, orchestra, Op. 79, 2008
Intermezzo, guitar, Op. 80, 2009
Symphonie No. 5, 'Liberté' (text by Paul Éluard),
mixed chorus, large orchestra, Op. 81, 2009
Trio, oboe, violin, piano, Op. 82, 2009
