Élise Paré-Tousignant

Élise Paré-Tousignant (1937 – August 8, 2018) was a Canadian music administrator and music pedagogue. She was employed as a music theory teacher and auditory trainor at Université Laval and then was appointed the Faculty of Arts at Université Laval's first dean in 1985. Paré-Tousignant was the university's vice-rector of human resources and held the role of artistic director of the Domaine Forget that he held from 1993 to 2001. She oversaw the construction of the Domaine's Françoys-Bernier Hall and was the supervisor of the renovation of the . Paré-Tousignant served on the board of directors of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and was president of the between 2001 and 2005. She received awards and decorations such as the , the Chevalier of the Ordre des Palmes académiques, the Officer of the National Order of Quebec, the Tribute Prize at the , the in 2015, and the Member of the Order of Canada.

Biography Born in Deschambault-Grondines, Quebec in 1937, Paré-Tousignant was the daughter of the parish organist Blandine Naud and the teacher Victor Paré. She graduated from Université Laval with a degree in music in 1958 and obtained a fourth degree in music education from the Ward Institute in Paris.

During the year following her graduation in 1959, Paré-Tousignant had her first role in musical education by being on a school board. She enrolled on the Université Laval music school's teacher training program that had earlier introduced a bachelor's degree in music education. She educated such students as Bernard Labadie and Lyne Fortin, organised concerts with the university choir, took part in the formation of the option to study music at Cégep de Sainte-Foy and established the university's lyrical workshop teaching rhythmic arts offered to bachelor's degree music education students. She became the university's vice-rector of human resources two years later, their first female vice-rector. She stood down in 2001.

Paré-Tousignant retired from professional work in 1997. before becoming vice-president of its management committee. She served as president of the between 2001 and 2005 and led the Société du palais Montcalm's board of the directors from 2004 to 2008, overseeing the inauguration of its renovated concert hall. and the Culture et Patrimoine Deschambault-Grondines, where she had responsibility for their choir.

Awards Paré-Tousignant received various awards and decorations throughout her career. Paré-Tousignant was appointed Chevalier of the Ordre des Palmes académiques in 2003 and Officer of the National Order of Quebec in 2006.