About Us

Légère Reeds was founded by Dr. Guy Légère and Dr. Mark Kortschot in1998 for the sole purpose of producing state of the art woodwind reeds.   We have built up a manufacturing and distribution facility from scratch.  We maintain a modern ultra-clean production facility north of Toronto, Canada, with a  dedicated staff.   We have upgraded our machinery several times as we have grown, and we now have some of the most sophisticated computer controlled machinery in the business.  Best of all: our product works!  To find out why, click here.

Some more information on our two founders: 

Guy Légère

  Guy Légère is the President of Légère Reeds Ltd.  He has been a scientific researcher for as long as he can remember, always needing to know what makes things "tic" and is the author of several patents. He is the son of a Canadian military officer, has lived most everywhere, and is the oldest of nine. Guy graduated from McGill University in 1995 with a Ph.D. in Chemistry. His last formal job was as a researcher devising better methods of sample introduction for ultra trace elemental analysis, targeting the semiconductor industry. 

He took up the clarinet at the age of 27 studying under Abe Galper and playing in the Brampton Symphony Orchestra. The problem with reeds was a preoccupation from day one. As a researcher he was exposed to many types of materials and manufacturing techniques. After gathering a basic knowledge of how a reed works, Guy formulated and idea of what an ideal material might be.  Then, he found one!  The rest is history. 

Mark Kortschot 

  Mark Kortschot is Vice President of Légère Reeds Ltd., but is also a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto. He obtained Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Engineering at the University of Toronto, specializing in materials science. He then went to Cambridge University in the U.K. to study the properties of composite materials, and earned a Ph.D. in 1989.  Mark teaches materials science and chemistry, and conducts research on polymers, composites and paper science.   He has more than 30 refereed journal publications in these areas.

"The opportunity for me to work on this exciting project has been fantastic. Guy developed the original concept for the new reeds, and I have been able to help him take the project from concept to reality. The reeds may look very simple, but they are high-tech in every sense of the word.  I am very proud of our accomplishments and the impact they are having on so many musicians."