Léo-Pol Morin

As a pianist, he played a major role in advocating music by French composers in his native country; notably performing the Canadian premieres of works by Claude Debussy, Gabriel Fauré, Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, Maurice Ravel, Albert Roussel, and Erik Satie among others.

He likewise was an exponent of works by Canadian composers in France, including pieces by François Brassard, Claude Champagne, Henri Gagnon, Émiliano Renaud, Léo Roy, and Georges-Émile Tanguay.

Over the next six years he played an active role in the musical life of that city, collaborating with such notable artists as Alexis Roland-Manuel, Ravel, and Ricardo Viñes.

[1] Paul Le Flem wrote the following in his review of a 15 January 1923 recital given by Morin at Paris's Salle Gaveau: "Much praise is due the initiative of this intelligent musician who in a single evening was able to present so effectively music of such diversity.

Evincing the subtlest grasp of idiom this artist passed easily from one composer's music to another's, finding the appropriate expression and the right emphasis for each one's thought.

He brought to bear brilliant technical accomplishment as well, yet only to demonstrate how a vibrant touch and a sure instinct for sonority could remain submissive to the control of the spirit of the music.

"[2] Morin moved from his home in Paris back to Montreal in the fall of 1925, where he quickly began advocating new French music through his concerts and writings; sometimes with protest from his peers.

He returned to Montreal for a few months in 1933 during which time he performed a concert of contemporary French music at the Stella Theatre (now the Théâtre du Rideau Vert).

[1] Morin moved backed to Montreal in 1936 to join the faculty of the École de musique Vincent-d'Indy where he taught until his death in 1941 in an automobile accident in the Laurentians.

He performed in several concerts and gave lectures for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation during the late 1930s; notably being a regular participant on the CBC Radio quiz show S.V.P.