Jean-Luc Plourde

A violin graduate of the Quebec City Conservatory of Music, Jean-Luc Plourde took up the viola in 1994 and has since made a name for himself on this instrument, notably playing one made by luthier Iginio Sderci.

Described by music critic François Tousignant as “a remarkable violist,” Plourde is also an active chamber musician, performing throughout North America (at the Parry Sound, Orford, Lanaudière, Domaine Forget, and Ravinia festivals), Japan, and Europe (Santander International Festival, Pommersfelden Chamber and Orchestral Music Academy, among others). He is also regularly heard performing with renowned artists such as James Campbell, Marc-André Hamelin, Alvaro Pieri, the Gryphon Trio, the Kocian and Shostakovich Quartets, and pianist Dang Thai Son.

Jean-Luc Plourde is a founding member of the renowned Arthur LeBlanc Quartet, whose career he manages. With this ensemble, he has recorded extensively for both French and English broadcasters of Radio-Canada and toured extensively in North America and Japan, performing over 500 concerts to date. He has also received numerous grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the New Brunswick Arts Council, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Canada.

Jean-Luc Plourde has also explored contemporary music, commissioning works for the Arthur LeBlanc Quartet from composers Kelly-Marie Murphy, Vincent Collard, and Jacques Desjardins. He is also a teacher, dividing his time between the Domaine Forget International Academy and the University of Moncton, where he is an artist-in-residence.