Casavant Frères -- Home Page


		Bertin Nadeau, owner and Chairman of the Board of Casavant Frères, completed a doctorate in business administration from Indiana University Business School. He started his career as a University professor at l'École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Montréal (HEC). In 1976, the year he left teaching to become a full-time business leader, he bought Casavant Frères. From 1982 until 1994, he was Chairman and CEO of Unigesco Inc., and from 1989 until 1993, Chairman and CEO of Provigo Inc., one of Unigesco's affiliates. Since 1994, he is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GescoLynx Inc. In 1997, Mr. Nadeau renewed teaching at HEC in Montréal where he is an adjunct professor. Throughout his career, Mr Nadeau has been a member of various boards of directors of public and private organizations. He has received much recognition for his work including the Academy of Alumni Fellows Award of Indiana University plus Awards of Distinction from the Québec Acadian Federation and the Faculty of Commerce and Administration of Concordia University. He has received honorary doctorate degrees from Queen's University, Moncton University, Sainte-Anne University and Bishop's University. His artistic interests include serving on the Board of Governors of the Banff Centre from 1996 until 2002 as well as seeking new ways to increase public awareness and interest in the pipe organ. Mr Nadeau is a Director and a supporter of the Canadian International Organ Competition (CIOC).
		Casavant's President and Chief Operating Officer, Daniel Lupien joined Casavant in 1998 and was named to his current position in 2010. A Chartered Accountant by training with a Bachelor's Degree from the Université du Québec, he decided early on in his career to focus on production management and he brought to Casavant more than twenty years of experience. Mr. Lupien supervises the overall operation of the company.
		Tonal Director Jacquelin Rochette is a native of St-Augustin, Québec. He acquired his musical training at Université Laval in Québec where he earned his Master's Degree in organ performance under the direction of Antoine Bouchard. He also studied with Antoine Reboulot. In 1979 he served as interim organist at the Québec Basilica while the organist was on a study leave. Shortly thereafter, he became the Musical Assistant Director of Les Petits Chanteurs de la Maîtrise du Chapitre de Québec. From 1980 to 1987 he was Music Director of Chalmers-Wesley United Church in Québec City. He has performed numerous times on the CBC and recorded Vierne's Sixth Symphony, Dupré's Stations of the Cross, and the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies of Widor. He frequently appears as a lecturer and recitalist in Canada and the United States. He joined Casavant in 1984, first working with Jean-Louis Coignet and later serving as Associate Tonal Director before taking on the mantle of Tonal Director. His background as a trained professional organist provides him with the experience and knowledge of the organ, its repertoire and use in performance and worship to be especially effective in directing the team of voicers and in understanding the musical requirements of each situation.
		Vice President Simon Couture joined Casavant Frères in 1992. He studied organ at the University of Laval in Québec City, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music History and the Master’s Degree in Musicology. He has played in many churches in Québec City, among which are Saint-Roch, Très Saint-Sacrement and the Université Laval Chapel. In addition to his work at Casavant Frères he regularly publishes articles, a listing of which may be found in the Published Articles section of the website. His most recent contribution is the text of the entry on the Casavant brothers for the Dictionary of Canadian Biography. He also is frequently asked to give lectures on the history of music in Canada and on the history of Casavant Frères. During the Organ Historical Society’s convention in Montréal he was one of the featured lecturers and also assisted with the researching of information for the convention program. His life long interest and passion for the organ and its history gives him an encyclopedic knowledge about older instruments, in particular those built by Casavant Frères.
		Director, International Markets, Jean-Luc Hébert joined Casavant in 2007. He holds an electrical engineering degree from McGill University in Montréal and acquired a solid musical training with organists Madeleine Lalonde and Raymond Daveluy. As an active musician, Jean-Luc works extensively as a keyboardist, choir director, and arranger, as well as church musician. Also, he has developed MIDI systems and software, and has worked on many recording sessions. For many years, he has served as Music Director of numerous fund raising events for various Foundations. After 16 years working as a system engineer and manager for IBM, Jean-Luc now combines his various passions in directing markets development and organ projects in every parts of the world, especially in Asia.
		Technical Director Denis Blain is in charge of service work as well as research and development. With Casavant since 1986, Mr. Blain developed his considerable knowledge through years of practical experience in virtually all areas of organ building. Mr. Blain consults regularly with service personnel throughout North America advising them on technical questions related to Casavant organs of all action types and vintages.
		Associate Technical Director, Pierre Beaulac joined Casavant in 2003, following a career of almost twenty-five years with the organ building firm of Guilbault-Thérien. Prior to joining Casavant, where he is responsible for all refurbishing projects, Mr. Beaulac acquired vast expertise in all aspects of organ building while working extensively on the maintenance and refurbishing of older Casavant instruments.
		Chief Architect Pierre Drouin holds a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from the Université Laval in Québec City. He introduced Computer Assisted Drafting to Casavant and personally supervises the design and layout of every organ. Mr. Drouin works directly with architects and contractors to coordinate the preparations and installation of each instrument.
		Mechanical Action Workshop Supervisor, Jens P. Petersen, joined Casavant in 2007. After ten years working with Bruno Christensen & Sons in Denmark, Jens moved to Canada and worked as technical director with Hellmuth Wolff & Associates. This vast experience in all aspects of mechanical action led him to being in charge of the construction and fine tuning of all mechanical action instruments at Casavant. Being himself an enthusiastic music lover, his objective is always to deliver the best musical instrument possible.
		Vice-President Emeritus Stanley Scheer earned degrees in organ performance from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey where he was a student of Eugene Roan, George Markey and Alexander McCurdy. He became Vice-President of Casavant Frères in 1988, and during his eighteen-year tenure was actively engaged in the design, layout and testing of virtually every organ built in the workshop. In addition, he was responsible for the organization of the monumental Casavant archives and was the leading force behind the new Casavant web site that was launched to great acclaim in 2005. Widely recognized across North American for his expertise in church music and organ design, Stanley Scheer remains a close collaborator of Casavant Frères while enjoying retirement. Before joining Casavant in 1984, he taught for twenty-one years at Pfeiffer University in North Carolina where he was Professor of Music and Head of the Department of Fine Arts.
		Tonal Director Emeritus, Jean-Louis Coignet joined Casavant in 1981. By professional training a physiologist with a Doctorate from the Sorbonne, he is an accomplished musician with an acute sense of hearing who has had a life-long passion for organ building. From 1981 until 2005 he served as the Expert-Organier (organ expert) for the City of Paris and is the most knowledgeable authority on the work of Cavaillé-Coll in the world today. During his tenure at Casavant Frères he trained and built a strong team of voicers working to emphasize musical values and shaping a solid tonal ensemble, which is a hallmark of Casavant organs.
		General Manager René Letendre joined Casavant in 1989 and he has held this position since 2003. An experienced wood worker, René was first involved in cabinet making but also had the opportunity to work in many departments. He has been involved in making consoles, swell boxes, and windchests; he also worked in pipe metal casting and organ installations. This has provided him with a broad knowledge of pipe organ construction. One of René's responsibilities is making sure that schedules are followed so that each organ is installed at the required time. He is constantly searching for new opportunities to improve the quality of our instruments.
		Gilles Angers joined Casavant in 1994 and is the head of the small parts department. A wood worker by training, Gilles is responsible for making the innumerable parts that are essential to the working of every organ from unseen parts of the playing action to the engraving of the names on the drawknobs. Gilles especially enjoys working on the refurbishment of old Casavant instruments where he can appreciate their diversity and the quality of the work of his predecessors. In his spare time, Gilles likes to play the flute and to be outdoors.
		André Fortier is the head of the windchest department. Originally trained to build furniture, André came to Casavant in 1989 where he has been making windchests ever since. One of the aspects he likes most about his job is the challenge of finding solutions for complex situations. When not building windchests, André likes to go camping and watch hockey.
		Stéphane Graveline is in charge of millwork and has been with Casavant since 1997. He is the person who carefully selects and prepares the wood for his fellow artisans in the workshop. Stéphane has a passion for wood even outside of the workshop, as he is personally involved in taking care of forests. He enjoys spending time in nature.
		Réal Huard is the individual responsible for the wiring of every Casavant organ including the verification of the solid-state electronic combination actions and coupling-switching systems that are incorporated in organs. Réal, who taught shoemaking before joining Casavant in 1989, is a graduate of a wood working school and built windchests and consoles at Casavant before assuming his present role. Réal is also a professional arts photographer whose work has been exhibited in area galleries.
		Marco Laferrière has worked at Casavant Frères since 1994 and has been involved in over 50 organ installations throughout North America and in Australia. He is in charge of the montage of the instruments at Casavant, making sure that every organ is carefully assembled and tested in the workshop before being dismantled and shipped to its final destination. Marco is interested in several sports.
		Richard Marchand is Casavant’s head voicer, having joined the firm in 1989 after completing a Master's degree in Music Theory at Université de Montréal and then teaching for 10 years. Richard has a strong passion for music and for the organ's sound. In every organ project, his objective in voicing is to bring the instrument alive and to allow it to realize the organist's intent. Richard enjoys attending concerts of various kinds.
		Francois Masse joined Casavant in 2000 and is the head of the cabinet making workshop. He makes sure every detail is met in order to achieve the highest visual quality possible. He has been devoted to wood working since his youth. When not making beautiful pipe organs, Francois enjoys camping and furniture building.
		Claude Pelletier joined Casavant in 1977 and is the head of the console department. Like most of his colleagues, Claude completed an apprenticeship program where he trained with experienced artisans many of whom retired after more than forty years with the firm. His scope of expertise covers the complete process of console building for both mechanical and electric action organs. In his spare time, Claude likes to play the guitar, to do wood carving and to coach amateur sports teams.
		Simon Richard, who joined Casavant Frères in 1989, is the head of the pipeshop. With many years of experience in making organ pipes, he is not only at ease with the fabrication of new flue and reed pipes but is also involved with the refurbishment of old pipework.