NEWS RELEASE
ANDRÉ BOURBEAU RECEIVES 2015 ARTS-BUSINESS AWARD
Montreal, June 22, 2015 – Philanthropist André Bourbeau was presented today with the 2015 Arts-Business Award by the Conseil des arts de Montréal, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Montreal, after more than two decades spent supporting classical music careers and greatly increasing the profile of the classical musical arts, especially with young audiences. “An exceptional man, completely dedicated to the mission of Jeunesses Musicales Canada (JMC), but also a pillar of Montreal’s cultural scene,” commented Richard Lupien, who succeeds André Bourbeau as President of the Jeunesses Musicales Canada Foundation (JMCF).
Before guests and other nominees present at the award-giving ceremony, André Bourbeau graciously shared the details of his history with Jeunesses Musicales Canada, including the great complicity he had with Joseph Rouleau, even before he assumed the leadership of the Foundation in 1997-1998.
According to Richard Lupien and JMC President Jean-Guy Gingras, “part of his legacy is the money he raised from the numerous auctions, dinner concerts and annual golf tournaments he organized over the years, not to mention all the special events where he took advantage of the presence of outstanding musical talent to delight classical music fans and add to the JMCF’s coffers. He also made the most of the Placements Culture opportunity to provide JMC with resources for a rainy day.”
“Year in, year out, as the Foundation’s top executive, Mr. Bourbeau talked business people into making donations to help Jeunesses Musicales Canada thrive. We owe him our heartfelt thanks for his contribution to the working team of about ten people, and for enabling us to present about 500 concerts a year in Quebec and at least as many musical discovery workshops,” added Danièle LeBlanc, Executive and Artistic Director of JMC.
But if you ask André Bourbeau himself, the two greatest achievements of his philanthropic efforts in the cultural sector are the transformation of a Montreal commercial building into JMC House, a building that is recognized today for the acoustic quality of its chamber music hall, and the creation from the ground up of the Montreal International Musical Competition (MIMC), which, since 2002, has been attracting some of the most renowned jury members and artists on the planet.
Because of the tremendous impetus he has given to JMC and the Foundation, and because of his investment in the careers of numerous artists who have since reached remarkable heights, André Bourbeau is a financial pillar of the Jeunesses Musicales Canada Foundation and a key player in the artistic vitality of Montreal and the rest of the world.
The winner of the 2015 Arts-Business Award will continue to sit on the JMCF Board of Directors.
More details and photos available online at: www.fondationjmc.ca.
