Vincent Boilard

Born in Mont-Joli, Québec, Vincent Boilard is Associate Principal Oboe of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM) and has been a lecturer at the Université de Montréal since 2015. A well-known figure on the Québec classical music scene, he is widely recognized both as a performer and as a pedagogue.

In 2009, diploma in hand from the Conservatoire de musique de Québec—where he studied with Philippe Magnan—Boilard left Québec to pursue a master’s degree in performance at the Haute École de musique de Genève. His studies in Switzerland allowed him to work closely with some of the great masters of the oboe, including Roland Perrenoud, Maurice Bourgue, and Heinz Holliger.

Before joining the OSM, Vincent Boilard performed with the Orchestre symphonique du Jura and the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Switzerland, as well as with the Laval Symphony Orchestra, the Sherbrooke Symphony Orchestra, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. He has had the opportunity to play under internationally renowned conductors such as Kent Nagano, Valery Gergiev, Yuri Temirkanov, Manfred Honeck, Neeme Järvi, and Gianandrea Noseda.

Although he maintains an active orchestral career, Boilard is equally passionate about chamber music and solo performance. He collaborates regularly with his OSM colleagues and never misses an opportunity to appear as a soloist. He has performed concertos with Les Violons du Roy, the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, the Sherbrooke Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestre symphonique de l’Estuaire, and has given recitals at the Concerts aux Îles du Bic, the Domaine Forget International Festival, and on his Canadian tour with Jeunesses Musicales Canada.

Over the years, Boilard’s dedication has been widely recognized. He has received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Fonds québécois de recherche sur la société et la culture, and has distinguished himself in numerous competitions, including the Canadian Music Competition, the Radio-Canada Young Artists Competition, the Prix d’Europe, and the OSM Standard Life Competition.

Deeply committed to teaching, Vincent Boilard devotes much of his time to sharing his knowledge and passion with music lovers young and old. In addition to his lecturing appointment at the Université de Montréal, he gives masterclasses and teaches at the Domaine Forget International Academy of Music and Dance. He is also actively involved in the OSM’s “La musique aux enfants,” an initiative that introduces preschoolers to the world of music.

In addition to his recordings with the OSM, Vincent Boilard can be heard with pianist Olivier Hébert-Bouchard on the album Dialogue, which is broadcast regularly on Radio-Canada and available on major streaming platforms.