BIO

Heir to a founding lineage of Québec’s musical life, Vincent Bélanger is a cellist, composer, and artistic director. He follows in the footsteps of his great-grandfather Omer Létourneau—organist, composer, pedagogue, and third laureate of the Prix d’Europe—an essential figure in musical transmission and publishing in Québec, and of his grandfather Edwin Bélanger, violinist, conductor, and former music and artistic director of the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, also a Prix d’Europe laureate. This tradition continues with his father, tenor Guy Bélanger, founder of the Opéra de Québec and several choral ensembles in the Capitale-Nationale region, who is today his artistic advisor. From this lineage, Vincent inherited not only musical talent, but also a deep commitment to making music—instrumental music included—accessible, alive, and human.

A fourth-generation musician from Québec City, he began studying piano at the age of five before dedicating himself to the cello at age eight. His career now unfolds at the crossroads of composition, performance, sound research, and constant dialogue between Latin jazz, contemporary music, improvisation, and the classical repertoire, while embracing a strong role in artistic direction. His playing—recognized for its rich palette of colors, lyricism, and expressive depth—has inspired Canadian composer François Dompierre, who dedicated to him in 2019 his Concerto for Cello and Large Orchestra, highlighting the singularity of Bélanger’s musical language and his ability to carry a powerful artistic vision.

After completing his studies at the Conservatoire de musique de Québec, Vincent Bélanger continued his training in France at the Conservatoire national de région de Montpellier from 1999 to 2003. There, he studied notably with cellist Yvan Chiffoleau and deepened his knowledge of early music with harpsichordist Violaine Cochard, a leading figure in Baroque interpretation and recipient of numerous international awards. He also participated in major masterclasses with Yo-Yo Ma (Lyon, 2001) and Lluis Claret (Montpellier, 2002), completing this period of study with a Premier Prix in cello (master-class) and five Premiers Prix in chamber music.

In 2004, Vincent Bélanger was a laureate of Radio-Canada’s national Jeunes Artistes competition. His performance was broadcast and presented by pianist Alain Lefèvre as part of the program Young Artists.

In 2011, he released the album Là (Fidelio label), acclaimed as a “coup de cœur” by Radio-Classique Montréal and Québec and becoming a best-seller on the HDtracks platform. He later composed the music for the independent film Ce qu’il ne faut pas dire, directed by Montréal filmmaker Marquise Lepage and released in 2015.

From 2013 to 2018, Vincent Bélanger was a guest soloist on the official Chinese New Year musical tours in Canada, performing on most of the country’s major stages—from Québec to British Columbia—in duo with international erhu soloist Jiang Kemei. This intercultural collaboration deeply shaped his approach to phrasing, timbre, and musical dialogue.

In 2017, Pure Cello was released—an album for solo cello recorded and performed by Vincent Bélanger under the Audio Note Music (ANM) label. Celebrated by both the musical press and the audiophile community, the recording is recognized for its sonic depth, stylistic rigor, and lyrical sensibility. It led to comparisons with the legacy of great cellist Paul Tortelier; in the summer of 2021, critic Christophe Rodriguez wrote in Ludwig van Montréal that “his playing evokes the touch of the immense Paul Tortelier.”

In 2019, he founded Les 9 de Montréal, an ensemble bringing together eight cellos and a double bass, for which he serves as soloist, musical director, and producer. Under the GFN Classique label, the ensemble released three albums: Adaptations (2020), Consonances (2022), and Nocturnes (2023). Critics praised his artistic direction, noting his ability to make the ensemble “sound like a single instrument” while revealing each performer’s individual musical identity. His arrangement of Maurice Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante défunte received particular acclaim (La Scena Musicale, 2023).

In parallel, he explored other artistic territories, notably with the album Conversations (XLO label, 2016), a “Jazzi-Class” experience created with singer and pianist Anne Bisson.

In 2025, he launched Songe, a major project produced by Vincent Bélanger Musique et Productions (VBMP), which he leads as soloist, composer, producer, and artistic designer. From its pre-release, Songe was hailed by audiophiles and the specialized press as a unique album, already compared to the great recordings and performers of the international audiophile catalogue.

This constant search for a living link between music, sound, and emotion led Vincent Bélanger to a decisive encounter.

INTERVIEWS

RELEASES