18 cultural ambassadors awarded the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec

Quebec City, May 2, 2017 – Jacques Brault, Win Butler and Régine Chassagne (Arcade Fire), Michel Dallaire, René Derouin, Yvon Deschamps, Diane Dufresne, Denise Filiatrault, Roger Frappier, Phoebe Greenberg, Pierre Lassonde, Kent Nagano, Lorraine Pintal, Michel Rabagliati, Charles Richard-Hamelin, Florent Vollant, Vincent Warren and Kim Yaroshevskaya are slated to be awarded the title of Companion or Compagne/Compagnon des arts et des lettres du Québec at a ceremony to be held at Montreal's Phi Centre on May 29.

This prestigious award will be presented by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) in recognition of these individuals' outstanding contributions to the diversity and vitality of Quebec culture.

"Each of these individuals has contributed to Quebec's reputation for excellence at home and at the international level. By placing their talents and passions at the service of their art and by committing themselves to their communities and to the development of their respective disciplines, they have bequeathed to us the richest and most valuable heritage of all: a culture to be shared. We are presenting them with this honour as a sign of our gratitude," said Marie Côté, chair of CALQ's Board of Directors and of the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec (OALQ).

A significant honour

Instituted in 2015 to mark CALQ's 20th anniversary, the OALQ This link will open in a new windowis awarded to individuals whose outstanding achievements contribute to the development of Quebec's artistic and literary sectors. The winners are selected by the Council of the Ordre as part of an annual call for candidates. The award is symbolized by an insignia designed by jewellery artist Christine Dwane.

CALQ would like to extend its warmest thanks to Hydro-Québec, the main partner in this event. Committed to fostering the development of cultural heritage for the benefit of all Quebec society, Hydro-Québec has taken part in the arts and letters ceremony since its inception.

CALQ would also like to thank Télé-Québec's La Fabrique culturelle and BanQ for their support.

About the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec (OALQ)

Since 2015, some 50 individuals have been named Companions or Compagne/Compagnon of the OALQ. They include professional artists and writers, together with cultural managers and patrons of the arts. View the complete list. This link will open in a new window

About the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ)

Focusing on fair and sustainable artistic development, the CALQ provides support in all regions of Quebec for creation, experimentation and production and promotes artistic and literary development and dissemination in Quebec, across Canada and around the world.

List of award winners with their associated disciplines

• Jacques Brault | Literature
• Win Butler and Régine Chassagne | Music
• Michel Dallaire | Architecture and design
• René Derouin | Visual arts
• Yvon Deschamps | Humour
• Diane Dufresne | Music and visual arts
• Denise Filiatrault | Theatre, cinema and music
• Roger Frappier | Cinema
• Phoebe Greenberg | Visual/digital arts patron
• Pierre Lassonde | Visual arts patron
• Kent Nagano | Concert music
• Lorraine Pintal | Theatre
• Michel Rabagliati | Comics
• Charles Richard-Hamelin | Concert music
• Florent Vollant | Music
• Vincent Warren | Dance
• Kim Yaroshevskaya | Storytelling, theatre and television