“José Evangelista, composer, professor and central figure in Montreal’s contemporary music scene, has died at the age of 79.
“It’s with great sadness that we’ve learned of the death of composer José Evangelista,” the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec announced in a Facebook post. “This talented and prolific composer wrote more than 80 works.”
Born in Valencia, Spain, in 1943, Evangelista undertook studies in physics in his homeland alongside his musical training with Vicente Asencio at the Valencia Conservatory, where he won first prize in composition in 1967. Interest in computer science led Evangelista to Montreal in 1970, where he studied composition with André Prévost and Bruce Mather at McGill University, and established himself permanently.
In 1979, he became a professor at the University of Montreal, where he would teach for three decades. Among his achievements there was his creation, in 1987, of a Balinese gamelan workshop, which continues to this day. His former composition students include Ana Sokolovic, Samy Moussa and Simon Bertrand…”
