ENCOURAGE THE NEXT GENERATION
A bridge between a candidate’s university education and life as a working artist.
The Foundation of the Festival de Lanaudière has just established the Jacques Martin Fund, honouring Mr. Jacques Martin’s outstanding contribution to the development of the Festival de Lanaudière and its Foundation. This Fund, which was launched with a capital of $100,000 from the Foundation, will finance Festival initiatives that encourage accomplished, emerging classical musicians in their pursuit of rewarding careers.
Photo: Colette and Jacques Martin
“This Fund will serve as a bridge between a candidate’s university education and life as a working artist,” indicated Jacques Martin, whose family also contributed significantly to the Fund. Each year, interests accumulated by the Fund will be invested by the Festival in projects corresponding to the established criteria, in consultation with the Martin family, primarily Jacques and his wife Colette. “This project is very exciting for us,” declared Colette and Jacques Martin. “Helping young musicians of considerable national renown to make that leap into the international spotlight is exactly what we aim for!”
The Fund, which benefits from donation-matching from the Federal and Quebec governments, will be able to grow through the help of donors interested in supporting the advancement of burgeoning talent in classical music throughout Quebec and Canada.
FIRST PROJECT IN 2022
The first project financed by the Fund will allow six promising young classical musicians to spend a few days in Joliette during the Festival de Lanaudière. They will notably meet all the international artists present there. Thus, they will be able to develop a rich network in the music world, in addition to performing there at an event during the Festival. Also supported by the Fondation Père Lindsay and other partners in the region, the initiative will be the subject of a subsequent announcement.
JACQUES MARTIN : THREE DECADES OF DEDICATION
The initiative bearing his name honours Jacques Martin’s deep commitment and invaluable contribution, through his involvement over 30 years as a member of both the Festival’s and its Foundation’s Boards of Directors.
Mr. Martin has played a major role in the cultural life of Lanaudière. In his capacity as Mayor of Joliette from 1982 to 1990, he supported numerous cultural development projects. His heartfelt commitment to the Festival is monumental and incredibly long-standing! He always believed in the event’s great potential, and his dedication to music was significant especially in the construction of the Amphithéâtre Fernard-Lindsay in the late 1980s.
In 1993, Jacques Martin became Chair of the Festival de Lanaudière’s Board of Directors. He was also instrumental in setting up the Festival’s Foundation, thereafter serving as a board member up until 2020. After his departure, the team wished to highlight his crucial involvement.