Jean-Paul Jeannotte

Jean-Paul Jeannotte (; 9 March 1926 – 9 September 2021 ) was a Canadian operatic tenor, academic teacher, and opera administrator. He founded the Opéra de Montréal in 1979 and was its artistic director until 1989.

Career Born in Rawdon, Jeannotte studied singing in Montreal, with Salvator Issaurel in 1944 and with Émile Gourthe the following two years. He then continued his studies in Paris, with d'Estainville Rousset from 1947 and Pierre Bernac from 1951 to 1953. He made his operatic debut in Cherbourg in 1947 as Vincent in Gounod's Mireille. He also appeared there as Piféar in Adam's Si j'étais roi. He performed as Bastien in Mozart's Bastien et Bastienne, and as the Narrator in Monteverdi's Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda with the Minute Opera in 1949, and toured withFrance with the Disciples de Massenet in 1950.

He first appeared in Montreal at the Variétés lyriques in 1954 as Fritellini in Audran's La Mascotte, and remained a frequent performer with the company until 1955.

Jeannotte taught at Laval University (1964–1979) and at the École de musique Vincent-d'Indy. He was president of the Union des artistes from 1966 to 1972. In 1979, he founded the Opéra de Montréal, of which he was artistic director until 1989.

Jeannotte was named an officer of the Order of Canada in 1987. He died at age 95.