André Mathieu
A Canadian piano prodigy whose Romantic compositions and fiery performances drew comparisons to a young Mozart in his time.
1929–1968 (age 39)·Canadian pianist and composer·Birthday: February 18·The Silent Generation
Biography
André Mathieu was Montreal's answer to the great Romantic composers, a child prodigy who captivated audiences with his technical brilliance and emotional depth. By age six, he was composing; by his teens, he was being hailed as 'the Canadian Mozart' after performing his own concertos to acclaim in Paris and New York. His style, lush and lyrical, was deeply influenced by Rachmaninoff, whom he met and who praised his work. But Mathieu's career was a shooting star—intensely bright and tragically brief. Plagued by personal struggles and shifting musical tastes in the mid-20th century, his later life was marked by obscurity and hardship. He died nearly forgotten at 39, leaving behind a body of work that, decades later, would be rediscovered and celebrated as a unique and passionate voice in Canadian music.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
André was born in 1929, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When André Was Born
The biggest hits of 1929
#1 Movie
The Broadway Melody
Best Picture
The Broadway Melody
André's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1929Born
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1934Started school
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1942Became a teenager
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1945Could drive
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1947Could vote
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1950Turned 21
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1959Turned 30
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1968Died at 39
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
Key Achievements
- Performed his own 'Concerto de Québec' with the New York Philharmonic at age 13.
- Won first prize in a composition competition for young musicians in Paris in 1936.
- His composition 'Rhapsodie romantique' was used as the theme for the 1974 film 'The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'.
- Had his work 'Concerto No. 4' championed and recorded by pianist Alain Lefèvre in the 2000s.
Did You Know?
His father, Rodolphe Mathieu, was also a composer and his first teacher.
The famous pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff heard Mathieu play and called him 'a genius, more so than I am'.
He composed his first piece, 'Les Gros Chars', at the age of four.
A biographical film about his life, 'The Child Prodigy', was released in 1994.
“My music is the voice of my soul, a cry from the North.”
