Blair Thomson
Composer
Bio
Originally from Toronto and established in Montréal since 1995, Blair Thomson studied piano and theory from the Royal Conservatory of Music. He graduated from York University in composition under the guidance of composer, James Tenney before studying ethnomusicology as a graduate student. Recent compositions include premieres by Musica Camerata, Pentaèdre, Quatuor Claudel, and a bass clarinet concerto featuring l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and André Moisan.
Mr. Thomson has composed for orchestras, ensembles, theatre, dance, opera, musical theatre, film and television. His catalogue also includes 300+ arrangements for orchestras including National Arts Centre Orchestra, Cairo Symphony Orchestra, CBC Radio Orchestra, Violons du Roy, I Musici de Montréal, Sinfonia de Lanaudière, l’Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières, l’Orchestre symphonique de Québec and l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.
His extensive collaboration with OSM includes three studio recordings beginning with “Rivière et autres chansons symphoniques,” an interpretation of the songs of Michel Rivard. Succeeding this was the Félix award winning “La Symphonie rapaillée,” a rereading of Gaston Miron’s poetry. Lastly, as part of the 2023 centenary of Jean-Paul Riopelle, OSM recorded “Riopelle symphonique”. Other notable commissions include an audacious “Rhapsody in Blue” for 10 pianos and orchestra, the storyteller Fred Pellerin, and in 2021, music for the National Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Covid-19. In 2017 his collaboration with Half Moon Run and the OSM was unanimously acclaimed by both classical and pop music critics. Other collaborations with OSM include Florent Vollant, Alexandra Stréliski, Quebec hip-hop artists, Dominique Fils-Aimé and the iconic French hip-hop group, IAM.
Mr. Thomson is an active orchestral pianist and teaches orchestration at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. He is presently composing a large piece to be recorded by OSM in the summer of 2024 and a string quartet for Quatour Moliinari to be premiered in 2025.
Website: https://www.blairthomsonmusic.com
