Etching of Leandre-Arthur Dumouchel and photograph of Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Albany, NY. Léandre-Arthur Dumouchel and his twin brother, Alphonse-Edouard, were born on March 1, 1841 in Rigaud, Quebec. From their youngest days, their aunt, Estelle Fournier, instilled in them a love of music, and it was she who cultivated their talent. At the age of 9, the 2 brothers entered Coll├¿ge Bourget in their hometown to further their musical studies. Just 18, Léandre-Arthur left home to pursue a career as an organist at various churches in Ontario before moving to Troy, NY in 1864. From there, he moved to Carthage, NY in 1866. (It was for the Musical Association of Carthage that Léandre-Arthur and his brother performed in concert of sacred music on November 29, 1866 as accompanists to another Franco-American, Emma Lajeunesse. Her story is featured elsewhere in this collection.) In 1869, Léandre-Arthur Dumouchel left for Europe in order to further his musical studies. His brother joined him shortly thereafter. Léandre-Arthur studied piano at the renowned Leipzig Conservatory, and in 1872, he successfully completed a doctorate in music there. When he returned from Europe in 1872, Léandre-Arthur settled once again in upstate New York, this time to become an organist in Rochester, NY. (Some sources contend that he went next to Oswego, NY.) He would leave there in 1876 to become the organist at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, NY, a position that he held until his passing in 1919. His brother Alphonse-Edouard would also become an organist in upstate New York, serving for 40 years at the cathedral in Ogdensburg. He died in 1914. The remains of both musician brothers were laid to rest in Rigaud, Quebec.
