Cellist Marcel Saint-Cyr has Died, Aged 85

The Canadian cellist was the founding member of the Orford String Quartet

Born in 1938 in Québec City, Marcel Saint-Cyr attended Le Conservatoire de musique de Québec, l’Université Laval, and Germany’s Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe, where he earned a concert diploma in 1964.

In 1965, Saint-Cyr co-founded the Orford String Quartet, which became one of the first Canadian classical music ensembles to reach international acclaim.

In 1978, the quartet received the Canadian Music Council Award for their recording of the Mendelssohn Quartets No. 1 and 2. 

Saint-Cyr began teaching at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music from 1968 until 1980, when he retired from the quartet and relocated to Montréal, where he joined the faculty of the University of Montréal.

Additionally, he taught at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and was part of the chamber music department at McGill University for over 20 years. From 2002 until his passing, he was a member of the Franz Joseph String Quartet.

Alongside the cello, he also played the viola da gamba and the baryton, for which he founded Ensemble de baryton Eisenstadt in 1981 to showcase the instrument.

Mr. Saint-Cyr is survived by two children. Our condolences to his family, friends, students, and colleagues.