John Rea (artistic director)

John Rea is a Canadian composer, music theorist, and academic, primarily known for his compositions and his long tenure as artistic director of the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ).

Rea’s compositional output spans a range of genres, including orchestral works, chamber music, vocal music, and electroacoustic pieces. He is recognized for his engagement with postmodernist aesthetics, incorporating elements of quotation, collage, and stylistic juxtaposition into his work. His music often explores themes of memory, identity, and the relationship between past and present musical traditions.

As artistic director of the SMCQ, Rea played a significant role in shaping the landscape of contemporary music in Quebec and Canada. During his directorship, the SMCQ commissioned and premiered numerous works by Canadian and international composers, organized festivals and concerts, and fostered a vibrant community of musicians and audiences. He advocated for the performance of experimental and challenging new music, promoting artistic innovation and risk-taking.

Beyond his work with the SMCQ, Rea has also held academic positions at various universities, teaching composition, music theory, and analysis. He has published extensively on topics related to contemporary music, including analyses of works by composers such as Luciano Berio and Helmut Lachenmann. His writings reflect a deep engagement with both the technical and aesthetic aspects of music creation.