Michel Levasseur - Compagnon des arts et des lettres du Québec
On June 9, 2025, Michel Levasseur received the insignia of the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec, a prestigious distinction bestowed to personalities whose exemplary achievements reflect the artistic and literary development of Quebec. Discover the tribute paid to him by the CALQ.
A visionary broadcaster, intrepid producer and dynamic manager, Michel Levasseur is living proof that a bachelor’s degree in forestry can lead anywhere. Cultivating two parallel passions, he successfully laid the foundations for a major musical event in the Bois-Francs: the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville. For 40 years, he put together a program of eclectic concerts and worked with curators on visual arts exhibitions, screenings of experimental films and public sound installations.
The man nicknamed the Grand Chêne – the Great Oak – has made Victoriaville the unlikely capital of unclassifiable and cutting-edge music, attracting the most original artists on the planet. Avant-rock, free jazz, contemporary and electronic music are performed on pop-up stages, captivating audiences searching for something different. As head of FIMAV and Disques VICTO, Michel Levasseur has introduced outstanding musicians to audiences and been a catalyst for careers. Two Opus Awards, many other honours and 138 albums are testimony to his contribution to the promotion of the avant-garde.
His recent retirement brought him back to forestry management, where he continues to beautify the landscape, one shoot at a time.
The Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec is a distinction of the Council which aims to honor people who have made a remarkable contribution, through their commitment and dedication, to the development, promotion or influence of the arts and letters of Quebec.
The CALQ would like to thank its partners, the Caisse de la Culture and the newspaper Le Devoir.
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