Biography
Active on the international stage, Isabelle Héroux regularly performs both as a soloist and in ensembles. She has notably performed in France, Italy, Germany, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Ecuador, Tunisia, Turkey, Mexico, Brazil, Burkina Faso, New Zealand, Malaysia, the United States, and of course in Canada, where she resides. Considered one of the most talented artists of her generation, our guitarist is distinguished by her remarkable virtuosity, striking charisma, and exceptional stage presence. Invited to international festivals, Isabelle Héroux has served on numerous competition juries and has given many masterclasses.
Recordings
She has five solo and duo recordings to her credit. Her album ¡Viva España!, released on the ATMA label with the Duo Alba (classical guitars), received rave reviews, with critics hailing the musicians of Duo Alba as ‘masters of the guitar.’ She also has a solo album titled Regard on the XXI-21 Productions label: ‘…a very beautiful album by Isabelle Héroux, let’s savor it together…’ – Christophe Rodriguez, Cahier week-end, Journal de Montréal, May 14, 2005.
Her album Georges Delerue, Musique pour guitare et pour flûte, released on the DCM label, includes several solo and flute works (classical and film music) by this French composer. Her latest album, Tango classico!, with the late Patrick Healey, was nominated for an Opus Award in 2013.
She has recorded for Radio-Canada and the Bravo! Satellite channel as a soloist and chamber musician.
Background
She has a dual background in music education (Ph.D. from Université Laval) and guitar performance (Concert Diploma from the École Normale de Musique de Paris and First Prize from the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal) and is active in both fields.
Notable awards include scholarships from the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec, the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications, the Fondation McAbbie and the O.F.Q.J. She was a finalist in the “Concours International de la Havane” in Cuba. She received second prize at the 8th annual “Concours International d’Ensemble de l’UFAM” in Paris.
Isabelle received a unanimously decided first prize for classical guitar from the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal under the tutelage of Jean Versailles. She perfected her style while learning under Alberto Ponce at l’École Normale de Musique de Paris. She has also studied under such masters as Alvaro Pierri, Manuel Barrueco, David Russell, Ako Ito, Henri Dorigny and Stepan Rak.
Professor at UQAM
Isabelle Héroux is a full professor in the music department at UQAM, where she teaches pedagogy and classical guitar.
She also supervises doctoral students in Art Studies and Practices and hosts postdoctoral interns who wish to continue their journey with her. As a researcher, her interests focus on guitar pedagogy and didactics, the development of pedagogical materials, cognitive psychology, as well as research-creation in interpretation, particularly on the creative processes at work in performance.
She is a member of the Research Laboratory in Music Teaching (LAREM), the Research Laboratory in Aural Training and Instrumental Didactics (LaRFADI), and the Interdisciplinary Observatory of Creation and Research in Music (OICRM) at UQAM.
[https://professeurs.uqam.ca/professeur/heroux.isabelle/](https://professeurs.uqam.ca/professeur/heroux.isabelle/)”
She has published various pedagogical works for guitar teaching, including the reference manual for college-level instruction À vos guitares! Prêts? Partez! (CCDMD and Chenelière Éducation), Méthode pour débutants, Vol. 2 (Productions d’Oz), and the collections À vos guitares! Prêts? Jouez! Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, and Vol. 4 (Productions d’Oz).
Her doctoral thesis, submitted to the Faculty of Music at Université Laval, focused on guitar pedagogy : L’apport de la psychologie cognitive dans l’élaboration d’un outil didactique pour favoriser l’apprentissage de la guitare au niveau collégial.
