Bibliothèque et Archives nationaux du Québec (BAnQ) announces that it has acquired the archives of composer, pianist and conductor André Gagnon, who died in 2020.
The archival documents, spanning from 1940 to 2010, include several scores, including those of one of his best-known songs, Wow. There are also notebooks and letters.
The archives also include 1000 photos, as well as 200 video cassettes.
BAnQ indicates that most documents are now accessible to library visitors.
André Gagnon’s career has spanned seven decades and has led him to wear many hats, including orchestrator, arranger, composer, performer and director.
Over the years, he has composed for theater, opera, cinema and television.
Gagnon has enjoyed international fame, notably in the United States, the United Kingdom, Greece and Japan.
“Its archives constitute a major legacy for the memory of Quebec, a true treasure,” underlined Marie Grégoire, president and general director of BAnQ, in a press release.
“At the heart of the learning society, so that its heritage is perpetuated, BAnQ now preserves this precious heritage in order to share it with present and future generations. »