Jean Carignan
Jean Carignan, (December 7, 1916 – February 16, 1988) was a Canadian fiddler from Quebec. Carignan was born in Lévis, Quebec, on December 7, 1916, later moving to Sherbrooke and then Trois-Rivières with his family; the family moved to Montreal when Carignan was ten years old. In his mid-teens Carignan joined George Wade and his Cornhuskers.
Jean Carignan
- Name
- Jean Carignan
- Born
- 7 December 1916
- Birthplace
- Lévis, Quebec
- Died
- 16 February 1988
- Place of death
- Delson, Quebec
- Nationality
- Canada
- Occupation
- fiddler · violinist · musician
- Honours
- Member of the Order of Canada
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wikidata · Q645562 · wikipedia · Jean Carignan
In this article
Biography
Biography
Carignan was a friend of famous violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin. In 1974, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada as "the greatest fiddler in North America". He died in Montreal on February 16, 1988, at the age of 71. In 1976, The Folk Music Sourcebook (Sandberg and Weissman) wrote about Carignan: "Carignan's technique is amazing, but more so the joy and energy with which he applies it. There are few players in any music who reach his degree of virtuosity without sacrificing feeling or originality"—p.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Jean Carignan • Born — 7 December 1916 • Birthplace — Lévis, Quebec • Died — 16 February 1988 • Place of death — Delson, Quebec • Instrument — Fiddle
Selected filmography
Selected filmography
• 1986 Featured in TV series, Down Home for Channel Four TV made by Pelicula Films, Glasgow • 1996 Featured in A Musical Journey- The Films of Pete, Toshi and Dan Seeger 1957-1964, 1996, Distributed by Rounders Records.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1916
Jean Carignan born at Lévis.
1988
Jean Carignan died at Montreal.
Selected discography
• 1959: Ti-Jean... Le Violoneux (Disques London Série Française) • 1960: The Folk Fiddler Who Electrified the Newport Folk Festival (Elektra Records) • 1960: Old Time Fiddle Tunes played by Jean Carignan (Folkways Records) • 1961: Alan Mills and Jean Carignan: Songs, Fiddle Tunes and a Folk-Tale from Canada (Folkways) • 1973: Jean Carignan (Philo) • 1975: French Canadian Fiddle Songs (Legacy – an Elektra/Everest Production) • 1976: Jean Carignan rend hommage à Joseph Allard (Philo) • 1977: Jean Carignan Plays the Music of – Joue la Musique de Coleman, Morrison & Skinner (Philo) • 1987: Gigue à Deux (Radio Canada International) • 2006: Classic Canadian Songs from Smithsonian Folkways (Smithsonian Folkways)
Honours and awards
• 1974: Member of the Order of Canada. • 1976: Recipient of the Calixa-Lavallée Award. • 1977: Honorary D.Mus (McGill University). • 1977: Honorary D.Mus. (University of Toronto). • 2002: Plaque on the Canadian Folk Music Walk of Fame in Ottawa.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Jean Carignan, revision 1345000704 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Bégin, 1981
- 2.Jean Carignan.
- 3.OCC 260
- 4.Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. BFI | Film & TV Database | CAPE BRETON AND QUEBEC (1986). 2009-04-16.
- 5.Stanford University. SearchWorks Catalog.
- 6.Christian Rioux. Jean Carignan. The Canadian Encyclopedia.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 1
- Bégin, Carmelle: La musique traditionelle pour violon: Jean Carignan (Mercury Series no. 40, Canadian Museum of Civilization) (Ottawa, 1981)
References
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Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
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Jean Carignan is recorded as having received Member of the Order of Canada.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 20 August 2026.
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