Albertine Caron-Legris

Born Albertine Caron in Louiseville, Quebec, Caron-Legris began her piano studies with Romain-Octave Pelletier I in Montreal in her youth. She later studied the piano with Michel Hirvy, voice with Rodolphe Plamondon, and music composition with Eugène Lapierre at the Conservatoire national de musique. Several years into her professional career she entered the Université de Montréal where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 1942.

Caron-Legris married Mr. Legris in 1918, after which she taught music in Montreal and toured throughout Quebec as a recitalist. In the 1920s, she began to gain recognition as a composer of vocal songs and piano works in Quebec. Many of her pieces used folksong harmonizations. Her most well-known composition is the 1947 song "La Berceuse de Donalda" which was featured on both the radio and television version of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation program Un Homme et son péché. In 1962, her collection of song melodies for piano, Mes Plus Belles Chansons, was published through a grant by the Canada Council. Her other works include Poème pastorale for the piano (published 1948) and the songs "Ceux qui s'aiment sont toujours malheureux" (published 1947) and "Soir d'hiver" (published 1948). During her lifetime, Her works were included in the concert repertoires of Canadian musicians Maureen Forrester, Raoul Jobin, Marthe Létourneau, Nicholas Massue and Albert Viau. In 1972, Caron-Legris died in Montreal at the age of 66.