Montreal, September 2, 2022 – As the curtain rises for their 39th season, the I Musici de Montréal Chamber Orchestra is kicking off their season on the theme of travel by offering its audience the incredible Quebec soprano Karina Gauvin in a program tailored to her: Britten’s Illuminations. The concert will take place on Thursday, September 29 at 7:30 p.m., at the Pierre-Mercure hall of the Pierre-Péladeau Centre and a webcast will be available from October 6 to 16.  

« Our journey will begin in the British Isles, a group of islands with so many myths and legends. The British Isles have always captured our imagination with stories of the Knights of the Round Table, Loch Ness, Robin Hood, and dragons and druids. We will discover these stories once again through magical works by Britten, Walton, Holst, and Elgar. In our rendition, the High Priestess is unquestionably the wonderful soprano Karina Gauvin. Her creativity will shine through Britten’s sublime Illuminations.  » – says Jean-François Rivest, conductor and artistic advisor.

Recognized for her absolute mastery of the Baroque repertoire, Karina Gauvin is without a shadow of a doubt an essential in the interpretation of the Illuminations, and this for a long time. In 1995, she chose this Britten cycle during her participation in the Radio-Canada Competition. Marc-André Hamelin, then a member of the jury, went so far as to say that she owned the piece. His voice had evolved into something grand” and he had felt “moments of pure grace.” Since then, she has performed the Illuminations with several companies including the Orchestre Métropolitain and has also collaborated on the critically acclaimed recording of Britten: Les Illuminations (ATMA 2010) alongside Violons du Roy.

Program

Holst – Brook Green Suite / duration: approx. 8 minutes
Elgar – Sérénade op.20 / duration : approx. 12 minutes
Britten – Les Illuminations (for soprano and strings) / duration : approx. 22 minutes 30 seconds
Walton – Sonata for strings / duration : approx. 26 minutes

Tickets

Thursday, September 29 at 7:30 p.m.: Pierre-Mercure hall
October 6 to 16 : webcast

More information

https://imusici.com/en/britannia-karina-gauvin-and-les-illuminations/

I Musici de Montréal
Founded in 1983 by Yuli Turovsky, the I Musici de Montréal Chamber Orchestra has been sharing its passion for classical music for over 35 years. The 15 exceptional musicians who make up the orchestra bring to life a varied repertoire ranging from the 17th century to the present day, accompanied by their principal guest conductor and artistic advisor Jean-François Rivest. With a program based on tradition, originality and innovation, the Orchestra stands out for the place it gives to numerous emerging and renowned artists with whom it partners to offer you a colorful and meaningful musical experience.

Relations médias : Alain Labonté Communications

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