Gérard BLANCHET, Choir Leader
Gérard Blanchet, who has the French qualification ‘Agrégation' for music and choir singing, has lead the Choeur d' Enfants de Poitiers since 1989.
After taking part in several workshops and masterclasses with renown choir leaders (Jean Marc Laureau, Hélène Guy, Olivier Schenebelli, Jean Sourisse, Kari Ala-Pölänen, choir leader of Tapiola), he now leads on a wide range of initiatives, within and outside the Education Nationale; these show his deep attachment to choir singing.
In 1982 he jointly created, and from 1986 to 1997 coordinated, the singing choir Festival for schools and colleges ‘Atout-Choeur'. He has been President of the Fédération Académique of Chorales Scolaires (F.A.C.S.) for ‘Poitou-Charentes' until October 2012. He is still a member of the new college's board.
He created and directed the Choeur Chantejeau of Saint-Benoit (Vienne – 86) for ten years. Throughout his career, as well as teaching music and choir singing at the Théophraste Renaudot College in Saint-Benoit (86), he was advisory teacher at the F.C.E. (Formation Continue des Enseignants) at the Rectorat of Poitiers, trainer and life-time member of the academic jury for the French teaching qualification, the ‘CAPES' in music and choir singing, at the I.U.F.M. (Institut Universitaire de Formation des Maîtres). From 1998 to 2003 and 2007 to 2011 he was in charge of the music department at the D.A.E.C. (Délégation Académique de l'Education Culturelle) of the Rectorat of Poitiers. He was a founder member and administrator of the Institut Français d'Art Choral (I.F.A.C.).