Jean Derome, cofounder of Ambiances Magnetiques and one of Montreal’s most dynamic and provocative musicians, is an inspiration to all those who live in the imaginative new world of music. Derome was awarded the 1992 Freddie Stone Award. He has been an innovator in both the art and science of sound mixing. As an accomplished musician, composer, interpreter, instrumentalist (actually, a multi-instrumentalist) and improvisor, he has been working to enlarge the boundaries of music for more than thirty years. Derome has a wide range of musical training, including classical, modern, folk, jazz and cacophonous. He can mix and match many elements, and then re-express them using a unique language that is entirely contemporary. His collaborations with Pierre Tanguay and Rene Lussier, as well as Fred Frith (both from Europe), and his improvisational approach, all reflect his creativity. His many projects with theatre directors Denis Marleau and Claude Poissant, Lorraine Pintal, and choreographers Louise Bedard and Ginette Laurin as well as filmakers Jacques Leduc and Pierre Hebert, Michka Sal, Michelle Cournoyer and John Walker, all point to his dedication to rediscovering music’s legitimate function in theatre, dance, and cinema. Derome is a contemporary musician who knows where music should go and can lead it there. He also constantly redefines what music means. Jean Derome, a leader figure in this field, is an expert on the challenges of sharing power between the composer and the conductor. He is also one of few composers who places such great importance to the roles of the interpreter as well as the instrumentalist. from www3.sympatico.ca/jean.derome
