The Julius Schloss Collection consists of Julius Schloss’s complete portfolio of published and unpublished compositions, sketches, studies and analyses. In addition, it contains documentary artefacts, including correspondence, newspaper, magazine and journal clippings, concert and competition programs, media reviews, and photographs, that chronicle both the early life of this German-Jewish composer in Europe and his later days in exile in Shanghai and the United States.
The content of the collection pertains to several lines of historical research: First, Schloss’s close relationship with Alban Berg as a personal assistant and chief copy editor, as well as his interaction with other contemporaries in Vienna during the 1920s, may offer new insight in studies of the Second Viennese School. The items of Bergiana, including a handwritten Baudelaire poem by Berg which served as a “secret program” to the Lyric Suite and a selection of correspondence surrounding Berg’s last wishes for the Lyric Suite score, are particularly valuable. Second, Schloss’s ten-year exile in Shanghai, documented in assorted correspondence, programs, reviews and miscellaneous artefacts, may provide a new account of the Shanghai generation. Finally, the continuation of Schloss’s life in the United States as a struggling composer and teacher bears witness to the difficult conditions for the American émigré population after World War II.

Contains scores and parts housed in the Performance Library, including chamber music, music for orchestra, and band and choir music, to support the performing ensemble credit courses given at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University.

The Gertrude Whitley Performance Library holds more than 5,000 titles of scores and parts for ensembles of 3 players or more and over 1,000 jazz charts. The collection reflects the ensemble credit courses given here at the Schulich School of Music, i.e. orchestra, baroque orchestra, wind symphony, choir, jazz orchestra, contemporary music ensemble, percussion ensemble, brass choir, and various smaller chamber ensembles such as string quartets, woodwind quintets, brass quintets, etc. In addition, the Library houses the Carl Friberg Collection (band music) and part of the Bruce Bower Gift Collection (bassoon music). However, there is no solo or duet music. In fall 2005, the Library was named the Gertrude Whitley Performance Library, in recognition of the generous philanthropic gift from the Whitley Foundation in the creation of the new facilities for the Performance Library in the new music building.

The collection consists of programs and recordings of ensemble performances (including opera) by students, faculty members, and guest artists associated with the Schulich School of Music at McGill University and performed at one of the School's halls (Pollack Hall, Redpath Hall, Tanna Schulich Hall, and Clara Lichtenstein Hall), as well as some performances at venues outside McGill.

Paul Helmer’s "Growing with Canada" Collection constitutes an important resource for research in Canadian music and culture of the twentieth century. Canadian music and culture of the twentieth century. The Collection has been divided into seven series and contains approximately 1 140 items. Of particular interest are the edited interview transcripts (S.1 and S.7, available in print and .pdf, respectively), which Dr. Helmer had intended Paul Helmer Finding Aid Page 3 of 18 17 July 2014 as the second volume of his project. The Collection also contains the raw material for these edited transcripts: namely, the unedited transcripts and audio recordings themselves, as well as biographical information for each “émigré” musician discussed (with correspondence, copies of source material and photographs), copies of primary and secondary sources on immigration and internment, and miscellaneous items, including correspondence, unused research materials and notes relating to the book launch for "Growing with Canada".

The Roger Doucet Collection consists of over 1000 pieces of sheet music (including scores), 45 manuscripts, and one scrapbook containing photographs and newspaper clippings related to his career as the singer of “O Canada” during professional sports games.

The fonds includes a letter from Lex [i.e. Alexander Silbiger] to [Professor] Donald [Mackay] of the McGill Faculty of Music [now, Schulich School of Music], and a typed curriculum vitae [undated, but probably from 1974] detailing personal data, degrees and diplomas, performing experience, recordings, teaching experience, and compositional output. Also included is a printed concert program for a performance given by the Department of Music, Brandeis University in Slosberg Recital Hall on Sunday, April 27, 1975. In addition, the fonds comprises copies of scores of Gian Lyman’s compositions, including [Sonata for Organ?], Three Bagatelles for Piano (first performance, Montreal, 1959), Pieces for Oboe and Viola (first performance, Montreal, 1959), String quartet (first performance, Montreal, 1960), Essay for three Viols (first performance, Hartford, 1966), Trio for Violin, Viola, and Piano, Quaternions (flute, violin, viola da gamba, and harpsichord), and miscellaneous pieces for choir and organ.

The Bernard Gagnon Fonds consists of audio recordings, including interviews, manuscripts, correspondence, and event documentation of Bernard Gagnon, a Montreal-based electroacoustic composer who recorded his first electroacoustic pieces at McGill’s Schulich School of Music’s Electronic Music Studio (EMS) in the 1980s. The Bernard Gagnon Fonds contains the work of Bernard Gagnon a Montreal-based electoacoustic composer and performer who was active in the avant garde scene in the city during the 1970s and 1980s. He composed his first electroacoustic pieces at McGill’s Schulich School of Music’s Electronic Music Studio (EMS) and the collection includes a 2012 Tenzier recording of these works. The Bernard Gagnon Fonds is divided into 5 series and contains approximately 100 items. The majority of the collection consists of audio recordings, including interviews, manuscripts, correspondence, concert posters and programs.

The collections including here were orginally donated to the Phonothèque québécoise by Michel Décarie, Maryvonne Kendergian (Kendergi), Réal La Rochelle, Robert Daudelin, Raymond Gervais, Nicole Guilleret and Philippe Trolliet.

A history of the collections and information about the donors can be viewed here: https://web.archive.org/web/20191203205045/http://www.phonotheque.org/Inventaires/CollectionsPhono-Inv.html

The Richard Coulter Collection provides extensive documentation for a period of approximately thirty years in the history of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). It constitutes an invaluable resource for research in Canadian music culture, and the CBC in particular and prominent Canadian composers and performers. The Richard Coulter Collection consists of the radio scripts, production information and publicity connected with programs and program series commissioned, developed and broadcast on CBC Radio in Canada in the 60s, 70s and 80s. The collection also contains audio recordings of a portion of the programs produced. The collection features such prominent North Americans such as Glenn Gould and John Cage. It is divided into ten series and contains approximately 17,000 items. The majority of the collection consists of documents and correspondence from Richard Coulter’s CBC office files relating to the CBC radio programs, special events and talent festivals that he produced. These include radio and television scripts, correspondence, administrative files, project reports, concert programs, publicity, promotional information, press clippings, payment information, contracts, production and technical information, scores, and audio tapes.

The Sonde Collection provides a thirty-five year span of documentation for a Montreal-based Canadian experimental musical group who were very active electroacoustic composers and performers in the 70s and 80s. Sonde (formerly named MUD, Musical Design), created and played sound sources in Quebec, Canada and Europe. Sonde’s compositions were generally conceived for live performance on original sound sculptures. Using meditative improvisation, the group produced new music with sounds created by electroacoustic amplification and transformation.
The Sonde Collection is divided into 26 series and contains approximately 1,900 items. The majority of the collection consists of correspondence, concert posters and programs, and audio and video recordings. Activities of the Sonde group are described together as Sonde Papers and the activities of Charles de Mestral, a founding member of the group as Charles de Mestral Papers.
In the Sonde Papers, whenever it has been possible to do so, each item is referenced to the events listing, a numbered, chronological listing of events created by the group, entitled: ACTIVITES DU GROUPE SONDE (1975-2010) / Sonde Activities (1975-2010). The Sonde Papers include posters, programmes, scores, photographs, audio and video recordings.
The Charles de Mestral Papers are the personal items of Charles de Mestral, a member of the Sonde group from its inception. Whenever it has been possible to do so, each item is referenced to the events listing entitled: RÉALISATIONS DANS LE DOMAINE DE L’INSTALLATION SONORE (1985-2013, Charles de Mestral) / Sound Installations (1985-2013, Charles de Mestral) a numbered, chronological list of activities of Charles de Mestral. The Charles de Mestral Papers include scores, correspondence, installation plans, clippings, audio recordings and publications.