Composer and conductor receive Canada’s highest honour

The Order of Canada comes in three levels: Companion, Officer and Member. On Friday, four new Companions were invested. Two are musicians. The official citation reads:

• Yannick Nézet-Séguin, C.C.
  Montréal, Quebec

  Yannick Nézet-Séguin is one of the most sought-after conductors in the world. He is the artistic director and principal conductor of the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, music director designate of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. His talent has led him to conduct numerous other leading symphony orchestras worldwide. He is also highly acclaimed in opera circles, and the prestigious La Scala di Milano and New York Metropolitan Opera have welcomed him to the podium. Lauded for his clear and strong direction, he is also renowned for his charisma, daring, and uncomplicated manner.

• R. Murray Schafer, C.C.
  Indian River, Ontario

  Murray Schafer is widely regarded as one of the most important Canadian composers of the 20thcentury. With his singular voice and stunning creativity, he is renowned for infusing his choral, orchestral, chamber music and opera pieces with a distinctly Canadian spirit. His global impact is also reflected in his pioneering writings on acoustic ecology, which studies the relationships between people, sound and the environment. As founder of the World Soundscape Project at Simon Fraser University, he has encouraged academics and musicians to record and preserve the sonic environment of the planet. He remains one of the few Canadian composers to enjoy an international following.