Marc Villemure

Marc Villemure studied at the Conservatoire de musique de Québec before following an intensive course at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. He then took private lessons with LORNE LOFSKY, JAN JARCZYK, BOB MOVER, JOE PASS and JIM HALL.

Within the group Icarus, which he founded in 1987, he composes regularly and participates in numerous concerts both in cultural centers and at the Festival de Jazz de Montreal (1988-1996), Rimouski, Ottawa, Boulogne-Billancourt in France and at the Festival de l'Union des Radio-Diffuseurs Européens, in Vienna.

In 1987, Icarus was the winner of the Alcan jazz competition at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, eastern section of Canada, and released two records on the Amplitude label. MARC VILLEMURE was also part of GUY THOUIN's Art Ensemble. He performed with REGGIE SCHWAGER. the JONNIE BAKAN Sextet, the STEVE WATSON Ensemble, NORMAND GUILBEAULT (Tribute to Louis Riel) and singers MING LEE, JERI BROWN, TENA PALMER, TRYCIA POPE, MADELEINE THÉRIAULT, KAREN YOUNG and CORAL EGAN. He also leads his own quartet, VILLEMURE Ô CARRÉ with which he recorded a video alongside JOHN ZORN.

Today his quartet is made up of musicians: PIERRE TANGUAY, NORMAND GUILBEAULT and FRANK LOZANO. With this group he participates in the F.I.J.M. He also recorded for Radio-Canada the programs “Silence On Jazz” and “Jazz Beat”. In addition to composing for the groups ICARUS and VILLEMURE Ô CARRÉ. he participates in film music as a composer, arranger and performer: "The Northen Lights", "Mexico Mort ou Vif", "Les Mots Perdus...". You can hear MARC VILLEMURE on disc within the group ICARUS (ICARUS, QUAND-EST-CE-QU'ON PREND DES VACANCES). with the JONNIE BAKAN SEXTET, the KAREN YOUNG SEPTET ("Nice Work If You Can Get It"), the STRADA ensemble ("A La Via", "Nadal"), Robert Marcel Lepage ("Do the Clarinets have an Emergency Staircase", "The Illustrated Robert of the Clarinet" as well as with NORMAND GUILBEAULT (Tribute to Louis Riel), "the Top Hat trio" (A TRIBUTE TO FRED ASTAIRE), "Romeo and Juliette Tango" (ASTORIAS). Marc has been teaching in the jazz department of Concordia University in Montreal since 1997 and at the Camp musical du Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean. Marc directed the jazz concentration as well as the music program at Collège Jean-Eudes full-time (1992-2022).