History
 

Jeunesses Musicales New Brunswick

Jeunesses Musicales New Brunswick (JMNB) is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1996. Affiliated with Jeunesses Musicales Canada (JMC), one of the most important promoters of classical music in the country, Jeunesses Musicales New Brunswick is specifically mandated to “advance the mission of JMC in New Brunswick, by facilitating appreciation of classical music, particularly among young people and by supporting young professional musicians in their career development.”

New Brunswick has always been very active in this cause. JMNB maintains eight centres across the province: Edmundston, a JMC centre for over thirty years; Dalhousie, which celebrated its twentieth anniversary as a JMC location in 2010; Fredericton; Dieppe; Caraquet; Bouctouche; Bathurst; and the most recent, St. Andrews, which was launched in the fall of 2010.

The support of close to a hundred volunteers assures the vitality of these centres, resulting in the presentation of some forty concerts annually in every corner of the province to the delight of more than five thousand spectators.

Since the founding of JMC in 1949, New Brunswick performers have excelled. Dozens have risen through the JMC network over the past fifty years. Thus, by introducing artists such as the greatly missed Arthur LeBlanc, Rosemary Landry, Richard Raymond, Roger Lord, Amérhythme, the Arthur LeBlanc Quartet, Michèle Losier, Chantal Dionne, Nathalie Paulin and Jasper Wood, JMC has revealed the great musical talents of New Brunswick to many communities. During the 2010-2011 season, New Brunswick native Julien LeBlanc, pianist, will carry out a tour in company with violinist Marc Djokic of Nova Scotia.

Youth concerts

In addition to its Desjardins Concert Series for the general public, JMNB has been a presence in anglophone and francophone school schools for the last several years. Youth concerts have been prepared exclusively for younger audiences aged from 3 to 12 years.

Fonds Laetitia Cyr

In June 2000, JMNB created the Laetitia Cyr Fund. Named in memory of a great lady’s exceptional contribution to the musical life of New Brunswick, the fund seeks to support Jeunesses Musicale’s full range of activities in the province and to assist young local instrumentalists and singers. Over the past few years, JMNB has organized two benefits in support of the fund. The first evening took place at the Capitol Theatre in Moncton in February, 2000, introducing a constellation of talents, including Adrienne Savoie, accompanied on the piano by Nathalie Doucet. The second major fund-raiser was held in Fredericton in 2005 and featured an exceptional performance by soprano Measha Brueggergosman of that city.

The Laetitia Cyr Fund distributed its first grants in 2008.