Gilles Tremblay started his music studies in Montréal with pianist Germaine Malépart and composer Claude Champagne. In 1954, he took part in the first concert of contemporary music in Montréal. He pursued his studies in Paris with Olivier Messiaen, Yvonne Loriod, Maurice Martenot and Andrée Vaurabourg-Honegger, winning a First Prize in musical analysis and Ondes-Martenot at the Conservatoire de Paris. He met Pierre Boulez, Yannis Xenakis and Karlheinz Stockhausen and learned the basic of electro-acoustic techniques with Pierre Schaeffer and the Groupe de recherche musicale. Upon his return in Québec, Tremblay has spent his time teaching, lecturing and hosting the Festival series at Radio-Canada’s radio. He composed major works, such as Fleuves (1976), Vers le Soleil (1978) and Compostelle I (1978), the latter for Messiaen 70th anniversary. The renowned composer has since witnessed the performance of his works on every continent.