Officer of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: October 29, 2004
• Invested on: March 11, 2005

Bernard Labadie's gift for music was apparent at a young age. Since then, he has become an internationally renowned orchestra conductor. Founder and artistic and musical director of the chamber ensemble Les Violons du Roy and the choir La Chapelle de Québec, he has recorded with them and toured both within Canada and abroad, to the great delight of music lovers. His talent and musical intelligence have been saluted by admiring critics and have won him many prizes. A specialist in the baroque and classical repertoires, he also has a passion for opera. He took over as the artistic director of the Opéra de Québec with great success, and since 2002, has been the artistic director of the Opéra de Montréal. He appears, as well, as a guest conductor in Canada and abroad.