The Montreal-based composer, violist, teacher and painter Otto Joachim died of heart failure the night of Friday, July 31, 2010, at the Jewish General Hospital, at the age of 99. Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, on October 13, 1910, Joachim settled in Montreal in the 1950s with his brother, the distinguished Canadian cellist Walter Joachim. A prolific composer of new classical music, his more than 95-title catalogue includes Katimavik (the Eskimo word for “meeting place”), a four-track tape commissioned by the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal. His works have been performed around the world and enjoyed by audiences of all types.

Although his compositions reflect a variety of genres such as electroacoustic, ancient, Gregorian and jazz music, Joachim told Words + Music in late 2000 that he had not been “influenced by any composer. My favourite composers in my specialty, the 12-tone system, are Webern and Messiaen. I used Krenek’s little book on the 12-tone technique as a guide when I was writing my early serial works.”

Joachim rose to prominence within the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (1952-56), where he was principal violist. A teacher at McGill University (1956-64) and the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal (1956-76), he was the founding conductor of the Montreal Consort of Ancient Instruments (1958-69) and the founder of Montreal String Quartet (1955-63). In 1956, he set up his own 12-tone music studio. Otto Joachim was also the father of another well-known SOCAN member, Davis Joachim.

Otto Joachim was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 1993, and received the 2008 Prix Opus-Hommage among many industry distinctions.