The first 10 seasons of Les Violons du Roy

On December 5, 1987, Les Violons du Roy and young conductor Bernard Labadie were entrusted with the performance of excerpts from Mozart's Requiem for the state funeral of former Quebec Premier René Lévesque, at basilique-cathédrale Notre-Dame in Quebec Cty. The names of the orchestra and choir, then known as Ensemble vocal Bernard Labadie, were mentioned a few times on television newscasts, so that many people in Quebec and Canada learned of their existence.

It was a different story for music lovers in Quebec City who had been following the activities of the two new ensembles with great interest since 1984. The same was true of listeners to Chaîne culturelle de Radio-Canada, which began broadcasting their concerts as early as... 1985! This just goes to show how quickly the quality of the work of Bernard Labadie and his colleagues has caught the public's attention.

Sometimes it's good to be young, crazy and daring. That's exactly what enabled Bernard Labadie, Nicole Trotier and all their accomplices, singers and instrumentalists, to take the plunge and lay the foundations for two ensembles that would make a lasting mark here and soon abroad.

In addition to audacity, there was talent, hard work and the right encounters at the right time. The young Bernard Labadie was fascinated by Bach and Baroque music. Things quickly fell into place when he entered the École de musique de l'Université Laval (which became the Faculté de musique in 1997), with the enlightened support of key figures: Michel Ducharme, Antoine Bouchard, Élise Paré-Tousignant.

École de musique and Conservatoire

The very first concert by Les Violons du Roy took place on October 14, 1984 at Université Laval, Bernard Labadie's alma mater. His first accomplices, violinist Nicole Trotier and harpsichordist and organist Richard Paré, were trained at the Conservatoire de musique de Québec. A former voice student at the University, Bernard Labadie can count on an exceptional vocal group, the singers of the École de musique de l'Université Laval, from which the Ensemble vocal Bernard Labadie was born. It was the vital forces of Quebec City's two great musical education institutions that led to the birth of Les Violons du Roy, whose musicians had first been brought together, a year before their official debut, to support the singers in a production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas that would seal Bernard Labadie's vocation as a conductor.

The first decade

The first decade, from the 1984-1985 season to that of 1993-1994, was a fast-paced one. At the beginning, the young conductor had not yet obtained his baccalaureate! He did, however, in the second season of the new chamber orchestra. Concertmaster Nicole Trotier, also a member of the Orchestre symphonique de Québec and Ensemble Nouvelle-France, travels to Europe to study baroque violin in 1986. She and her colleagues went on to form the Quatuor Québec in 1987 and the Bande baroque in 1990.

The administrative structure of Les Violons du Roy is put in place by the first general manager, Jean Turgeon, and the first volunteers, many of whom are members of the Labadie family and close friends of the musicians. The first board of directors was established in 1986, with Charlotte Lapointe as its first president.

Milestones were reached at breakneck speed:
- First production of Messiah in December 1987
- Systematic adoption of baroque bows in 1988
- First tour of Europe (Belgium) in 1988 with Belgian flutist Marc Grauwels.
- First recording in 1989
- First concert at the Orford Festival in 1989
- First concert at the Lanaudière Festival in 1990
- Debut in Spain in 1990
- Debut in France in 1991

1992, a pivotal year

In 1992, Les Violons du Roy undergoes a veritable revolution: the musicians' increasingly busy schedules prevent them from combining their duties with the Orchestre symphonique de Québec and the new chamber orchestra. A choice had to be made between the two. And choosing Les Violons du Roy means taking a step into the unknown! Will the organization be able to live on its own and provide enough work for the musicians to keep the momentum going?

A new challenge, a new daring. New musicians are added to the orchestra, following the first auditions held according to the rules. It was at this point that violinist Michelle Seto joined Les Violons du Roy.

In 1992, Les Violons du Roy signed an agreement with the American firm Dorian for the recording of a series of CDs that would be decisive for the orchestra's progress and, above all, its influence in the United States.

Between December 1992 and May 1994, Les Violons du Roy recorded four albums, including Simphonies des noëls and Stabat Mater (by Pergolesi and Vivaldi), which greatly contributed to the orchestra's reputation both at home, via Radio-Canada in particular, and abroad. The specialized press recognized the quality of their productions. Agents and broadcasters are increasingly interested in what Les Violons du Roy have to offer.

The first decade draws to a close with the challenges of growth and the prospect of even greater influence to come...