Montréal, le August 23rd, 2022 – The I Music de Montreal Chamber Orchestra, which will be back in residence at the Pierre-Mercure Hall, is proud to unveil the details of its 39th season with its 22-23 season partner Le Groupe Maurice ! During the 2022-2023 season, I Musici de Montréal will transport you to the four corners of Europe with its music and imagination. You will visit the British Isles, France, Germany, Austria and Italy, thanks to our prestigious guests: Karina Gauvin (soprano), Tania Miller (guest conductor), Stéphane Tétreault (cello), Valérie Milot (harp), Vincent Lauzer (recorder), Ariane Brisson (flute), Maxim Rysanov (viola et guest conductor), and, of course, Julie Triquet, our solo violin.

Thanks to the special event Carte blanche to Caroline Monnet, you will explore the artist’s universe, her musical choices and a creation by composer Ravon Chacon. Ancient tales will be told by André Robitaille and danced by Max Pollak, a Broadway star in New York. Throughout the season, the composers who constitute the fundamental repertoire of I Musici (Bach, Vivaldi, Boccherini, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Ravel, Britten and Shostakovitch) will rub shoulders with other composers to discover (Boieldieu, Walton, Elgar, Holst, Pärt, Arnold, Telemann) as well as lively creators (Ichmouratov, Torres, and more).

The 2022-2023 season

BRITANNIA: Karina Gauvin and Les Illuminations
Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. (also available in webcast format)

Karina Gauvin, soprano
Jean-François Rivest, conductor 

G. Holst – Brook Green Suite – 8’
E. Elgar – Serenade op. 20 – 12’
B. Britten – Les Illuminations (for soprano and strings) – 22’30
W. Walton – Sonata for String Orchestra – 26’ 

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.

SPECIAL CONCERT
FIRST NATIONS: Caroline Monnet’s selections
A portion of the funds collected will go to the Kiuna Institution.
Thursday, October 20, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. followed by a VIP cocktail

Caroline Monnet, visual artist and filmmaker
Julie Triquet, violin
Raven Chacon, composer
Jean-François Rivest, conductor

J. Brahms – Quartet No. 1, 1st movement (arr. J.F. Rivest) – 10’
D. Shostakovich – Chamber Symphony, Op. 110a, 1st movement – 6’
D. Shostakovich – Chamber Symphony, Op. 110a, 2nd movement – 3’30’’
A. Pärt – Fratres for violin (Julie Triquet, violin) – 10’
B. Britten – Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, var. 7, “Moto perpetuo” – 1’
B. Britten – Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, var. 8, “Funeral March” – 3’30’’
B. Britten – Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, var. 10, “Fugue and Finale” – 8’30’’
G. Walker – Lyric for Strings – 6’30’’
R. Chacon – premiere (commissioned by I Musici de Montréal) – 8’
G. Ligeti – Ramifications – 8’30’’

Caroline Monnet is an extremely sought-after visual artist and a renowned filmmaker with a sensitive and warm personality as well as a vibrant imagination. Influenced by a convergence of French and Anishinaabe backgrounds, Caroline truly embodies the humanity of modern culture. We have given her the opportunity to select works for this concert; through her musical selections and excerpts from her own movies, she will paint a captivating sonic and poetic landscape highly steeped in nature and seasons, two aspects that are part of Indigenous traditions. Throughout the evening, guided by Caroline Monnet, you will hear works by Britten, Brahms, Shostakovich, Walker, Pärt, and Ligeti. You will also delight in a premiere by Navajo composer Raven Chacon. Raven won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize, making him the first Indigenous winner of this prestigious award.

PARIS: Valérie Milot and the harp
Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.

Valérie Milot, harp
Amélie Benoit-Bastien and Hubert Brizard, violins
Tania Miller, guest conductor 

C. Debussy – Sacred and profane dances for harp and strings –  10’
M. Ravel  – Pavane pour une infante défunte (arr. .JFR) –  6’
F. Boieldieu – Concerto pour harpe en do majeur (in tre tempi) 1801 – 22’
P. Frehner (Canada) – Mojave Dreaming – 15’30
A. Pärt – Tabula Rasa pour 2 violons et piano préparé –  27’

Paris has long delighted everyone with its beautiful architecture, its top-notch food, and its buzzing night life. The wonderful harpist Valérie Milot and renowned Canadian conductor Tania Miller will share Paris’s musical splendour and sensitivity with us in a program combining the Impressionism of Debussy and Ravel with the Romanticism of Boieldieu. Without a doubt, the harp is best suited to unveil the entire colour palette of these magical works. You’ll have an opportunity to rediscover violinists Amélie Benoit-Bastien and Hubert Brizard in the second half of the concert—two professional musicians you’re familiar with by now. Both violinists are I Musici de Montréal members who will play in Arvo Pärt’s extremely trippy and meditative Tabula Rasa.

IN DREAMLAND with André Robitaille and Max Pollak
Thursday, December 8, 2022 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Max Pollak, percussive dancer and tap dancer
André Robitaille, narrator
Mélissa Lavergne, congas
Jean-François Rivest, conductor 

D. Shostakovich – Quartet No. 15 (arr. JFR) – 40’
—INTERMISSION—
S. Torres (Bolivia) – Lucid Dream (for Max Pollak, congas and strings) – 6’
A. Ichmouratov (Canada) – Shabarsha (Fairy tale for Max Pollak and strings) – 28’

You must take a plane or boat to visit London and Paris, but all you need to do is close your eyes to dive into dreamland. Each of us has a hidden reservoir of dreams, a vast land of imagination that enhances our reality with its dream-like power. The concert will begin with the venerable Shostakovich’s fantasies and hallucinations. At the time of writing his final quartet, Shostakovich was sick and lying in a hospital bed. Like a nightmare, Shostakovich’s deeply philosophical masterpiece, Quartet No. 15, will instill in you a deep terror and immense admiration for its timeless beauty. In vivid contrast to the dark first half of the concert, Max Pollak’s tremendous artistry will share the joy of music with his entire body. He will be dancing in Torres’s Lucid Dreams, featuring upbeat and passionate Latin-American rhythms, and in Ichmouratov’s Shabarsha, a fairy tale from peasant Old Russia. The exuberant André Robitaille will enthusiastically guide us throughout the evening’s poetic journey from darkness to light and joy.

GERMANY: The Essence of I Musici
Thursday, February 2nd, 2023, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (also available in webcast format)

I Musici solo quartet
Jean-François Rivest, conductor 

J. Brahms – String Sextet No. 1 (arr. for string orchestra by JF Rivest) – 33’ –
—INTERMISSION—
L.V. Beethoven – Symphony No. 5  (arr. for quartet and string orchestra by JF Rivest) – 35’

This program is sure to leave you spellbound! We have amplified Brahms’s famous String Sextet in E-flat major for the entire string orchestra, dividing the orchestra into six sections with an additional double bass—as Mahler did in his arrangement of Schubert’s Death and the Maiden quartet and Schoenberg in Transfigured Night. Beethoven’s legendary Fifth Symphony was reduced to strings, whereas the front row quartet has taken on the place and role of the wind instruments. This concert embodies passion, lyricism, spirit, and energy—the founding I Musici de Montréal characteristics that will literally be amplified and multiplied through these new arrangements.

AUSTRIA: Maxim Rysanov and Mozart
Thursday, March 9, 2023, 19h30

Maxim Rysanov, viola and guest conductor
Julie Triquet, violin 

W.A. Mozart – Symphony No. 29 – 30’
M. Arnold – Variations on a Ukrainian Folksong, Op. 9a (arr. Steptoe) – 17’30”
—INTERMISSION—
W.A. Mozart – Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola – 28’

Without a doubt, you would say “Mozart!” if I said “Austria.” Mozart will be front and centre in this approachable concert. This performance will mark the expected return of the magnificent, worldrenowned violist Maxim Rysanov who is a valued conductor among I Musici musicians and audience members alike. Mozart’s stunning Twenty-ninth Symphony in A major will supplement the poignant Sinfonia Concertante, an original double concerto for violin and viola in which our admirable violin soloist Julie Triquet will join Rysanov. Because Rysanov hails from Ukraine, it is only fitting for him to conduct Malcolm Arnold’s Variations on a Ukrainian Folksong as an addition to the concert. Arnold was a composer known for his film music, earning him an Oscar in 1957.

SYRINX Joins the Flute Festivities!
Thursday, April 13, 2023, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (also available in webcast format)

Vincent Lauzer, recorder
Caroline Tremblay, recorder
Ariane Brisson, flute
Julie Triquet, violin
Jean-François Rivest, conductor 

G.P. Telemann – Excerpt from Sonata for Two Recorders (TBD) – 3’
J.S. Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 – 15’
A. Vivaldi – Recorder Concerto in G major, RV 443 – 12’ 
—INTERMISSION— 
C. Debussy – Syrinx (for solo flute) – 3’
J.S. Bach – Orchestral Suite No. 2 for Flute and Orchestra – 20’
G.P. Telemann – Concerto for Traverso and Recorder in E minor, TWV:e1 – 15’

The syrinx is the vital organ that enables birds to sing and serenade us with their amazing melodies. It was also the name of a nymph in Greek mythology who was chased by Pan and helped by the river. She became the reed with which Pan made his famous flute. Join us for a great flute festivity featuring solo recorders, recorder duets, recorders with orchestra, solo flutes, flutes with orchestra, and flute and recorder duets. The greatest composers will highlight each festive iteration, whether through Vivaldi’s and Telemann’s stunning virtuosity, Debussy’s intoxicating smoothness, or Bach’s emotive and timeless intensity.

ITALY: Stéphane Tétreault and Boccherini
Thursday, May 11, 2023, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (also available in webcast format)

Stéphane Tétreault, cello and I Musici artist in residence
Jean-François Rivest, conductor 

L. Boccherini – Cello Concerto in B-flat major – 22’ 
—INTERMISSION—
L.V. Beethoven – Quartet Op. 127 (arr. JFR) – 39’

Here’s yet another chapter in Yuli’s Heritage, a project we started last year. Our artist in residence, the splendid cellist Stéphane Tétreault, will present Boccherini’s sensual Concerto in B-flat major. Stéphane will join our cello section after his solo performance to play my transcription of one of Beethoven’s key quartets, the majestic Quartet Op. 127, written at the same time as the Ninth Symphony.

More information

https://imusici.com/

I Musici de Montréal

Founded in 1983 by Yuli Turovsky, the I Musici de Montréal chamber orchestra is composed of 15 exceptional musicians, whose varied repertoire spans from the 17th century to the present day. Jean-François Rivest, renowned for his energy, his extremely precise technique and his passionate style, has been the conductor since January 2021. I Musici de Montréal interprets and promotes original programming based on discovery, tradition and innovation in classical music.

Relations médias
Alain Labonté Communications
alain@alainlabonte.ca
514 815 2128

Montréal, le 21 avril 2022 – L’Orchestre de chambre I Musici de Montréal est fier de présenter Richard Strauss / Arvo Pärt, un premier enregistrement en dix ans et une première collaboration avec ATMA Classique. Il s’agit également du premier album sous la direction de Jean-Marie Zeitouni, qui a été le Directeur artistique de l’ensemble jusqu’au 1^er juin 2021. L’album sera disponible en magasin et en ligne, dès le 28 avril.

Composée en réponse à la dévastation de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, Métamorphoses de Strauss est une étude majeure pour 23 solistes et met en vedette chacun des instrumentistes de l’orchestre.  La pièce est associée à la Symphonie n 4, « Los Angeles » d’Arvo Pärt, une œuvre que le compositeur a décrite comme « un salut à la grande puissance de l’esprit humain et de la dignité humaine ».

Enregistrées à plusieurs mois d’intervalle en raison des restrictions déclenchées par la pandémie mondiale, les deux œuvres de cet album prennent une résonance particulière : elles réussissent à toucher profondément les auditeurs avec leurs hommages à la beauté et leurs messages d’espoir intemporels.

Richard Strauss / Arvo Pärt

Jean-Marie Zeitouni, chef

I Musici de Montréal, orchestre

Enregistré à la Maison symphonique de Montréal

RICHARD STRAUSS

1. Métamorphoses : Étude pour 23 instruments à cordes, TrV 290 / [27:37]

ARVO PÄRT

Symphonie no 4, « Los Angeles » / Symphony No. 4, “Los Angeles”

2. I. Con sublimità – Marcando con maestà – Pacato [12:53]
3. II. Affannoso – Un poco più affannato [13:16]
4. III. Insistentemente – Con intimo sentimento – Deciso [9:22]

Pour plus d’informations : https://atmaclassique.com/produit/richard-strauss-et-arvo-part/

I Musici de Montréal

Fondé en 1983 par Yuli Turovsky, l’Orchestre de chambre I Musici de Montréal est composé de 15 musiciens d’exception, dont le répertoire varié s’étend du 17e siècle à aujourd’hui. Jean-François Rivest, artiste et pédagogue reconnu, en est le chef d’orchestre depuis janvier 2021. I Musici de Montréal interprète et fait la promotion d’une programmation originale misant sur la découverte, la tradition, l’originalité et l’innovation en musique classique.

Relations médias
Alain Labonté Communications
alain@alainlabonte.ca
514 815 2128

Montreal, March 25th, 2022 – I Musici de Montreal Chamber Orchestra is happy to present a baroque program featuring Andréanne Brisson Paquin (soprano) in a few excerpts from Handel’s opera. She will be accompanied, a few times throughout the concert, by Marjorie Tremblay (oboist) and Julie Triquet (the orchestra’s solo violinist). The concert will take place on Thursday, April 14, at 2 pm and 7:30 pm, at the Pierre-Mercure hall of the Centre Pierre-Péladeau. A webcast version of the concert will be available from April 21 to May 8.

« Everyone loves baroque music for its sophistication, beautiful harmonies, and moving solos. For Eastertide, we have programmed exceptional excerpts from Handel operas sung by the wonderful Andréanne Brisson Paquin and some of the most popular works from the baroque era. Who isn’t familiar with Pachelbel’s Canon by now? » – says Jean-François Rivest, conductor and artistic advisor.

Andréanne Brisson Paquin has been collaborating on chamber as well as concert music since her return to Quebec after studying at the Amsterdam Conservatory. Winner of numerous national and international awards, she won the first prize at the Prix d’Europe Competition in 2011 and, in 2012, she was a finalist at the Montreal International Music Competition. She also won the Audience favorite award at the Mary Trueman Song Competition in New York in 2016, the 2nd prize at the National Music Competition, the Eckhardt-Grammatté competition and the 2nd prize at the Lyon International Chamber Music Competition in 2013.

Marjorie Tremblay has held the position of second oboe at the Orchestre Métropolitain since 2008. She regularly joins several Quebec ensembles, including Les Violons du Roy, with whom she has performed in the largest venues in Europe and in the United States, such as the Berlin Philharmonic and Carnegie Hall. A dedicated educator, she teaches oboe at Collège Notre-Dame in Montreal.

Program

Purcell – Fantasia in Three Parts Upon a Ground in D major, Z. 731
Bach – Cantate BWV 21, Sinfonia et Aria : Seuftzer Tränen
Bach – Sinfonia and “Seufzer Tränen” from Cantata BWV 21
Handel – “Ah! spietato!” from Amadigi di Gaula, Act I, Scene IV
Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major (2nd movement of the Italian Concerto BWV 971; violin transcription by Jean-François Rivest)
Handel – “Chi t’intende? o cieca instabile!” from Berenice, regina d’Egitto, Act III
Handel – “Myself I shall adore” from Semele
Bach – Passacaglia in C minor BWV 582 (transcription by Bernard Labadie)
Bach – Suite for Orchestra No. 3, “Air”
Pachelbel – Canon (in three parts)

Tickets

Thursday, April 14, 2022 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. : Pierre-Mercure Hall

From April 21st to May 8th: webcast

More information

https://imusici.com/en/baroque-brilliance/

I Musici de Montréal

Founded in 1983 by Yuli Turovsky, the I Musici de Montreal Chamber Orchestra is composed of 15 exceptional musicians, whose varied repertoire spans from the 17th century to present day. Jean-François Rivest, a renowned artist and educator, has been the conductor since January 2021. I Musici de Montreal interprets and promotes original programming based on discovery, tradition, originality and innovation in classical music.

Media relations
Alain Labonté Communications
alain@alainlabonte.ca
514 815 2128

Montreal, November 12, 2021 – The chamber orchestra I Musici de Montréal is very pleased to welcome the great actress Anne Dorval for the presentation of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, taking place on Thursday, December 9 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm, at the Pierre-Mercure Hall. Works by Biber and Farina will also be showcased during the concert, which will be available via webcast from December 16, 2021 until January 2, 2022.

Throughout history, composers have used their imagination and ingenuity to musically illustrate dramatic events, delirious atmospheres, battles, village parties, bird chants, storms, thunder and lightning, animal noises and other sounds coming from nature and society. Originally, each movement of the Four Seasons was accompanied by sonnets written by Vivaldi, allowing an expressive reading of the work and the progression of each season.

Festive Spring has arrived,
The birds salute it with their happy song.
And the brooks, caressed by little Zephyrs,
Flow with a sweet murmur.

– Concerto n˚1, Spring (excerpt)

“Vivaldi bequeathed his famous Four Seasons to us, accompanied by a poem of his own that lists all that is described during said time of the year. It is precisely this text that will be read by the talented Anne Dorval throughout the performance of our incredible solo violinist Julie Triquet.” – Jean-François Rivest, artistic advisor and first guest conductor.

Julie Triquet is the solo violist at I Musici de Montréal since September 2012. She plays on a Giusepe Odoardi 1786 violin, generously loaned by Mr. David B. Sela.

Frozen and trembling in the icy snow,
In the severe blast of the horrible wind,
As we run, we constantly stamp our feet,
And our teeth chatter in the cold.

– Concerto n˚4, Winter (excerpt)

Program

Farina – Cappriccio stravagante
Biber – La Battalia
Vivaldi – Four seasons

Tickets

Thursday, December 9th at 2 p.m and 7:30 pm: Pierre-Mercure Hall

From December 16th, 2021 to January 2^nd: webcasting

For more information

https://imusici.com/en/vivaldi-il-delirio-fantastico/

I Musici de Montréal

Founded in 1984 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.

Media contact
Alain Labonté Communications
alain@alainlabonte.ca
514 815 2128

Montréal, le 12 novembre 2021 – L’Orchestre de chambre I Musici de Montréal est très heureux d’accueillir la grande comédienne Anne Dorval à l’occasion de la présentation des Quatre Saisons de Vivaldi, le jeudi 9 décembre à 14h et à 19h30, à la salle Pierre-Mercure. Des œuvres de Biber et Farina complèteront le programme du concert qui sera également disponible en webdiffusion dès le 16 décembre 2021 jusqu’au 2 janvier 2022.

De tout temps, les compositeurs ont utilisé leur imagination et leur ingéniosité pour illustrer musicalement des événements dramatiques, atmosphères délirantes, batailles, fêtes de village, chants d’oiseaux, tempêtes, tonnerre et éclairs, bruits d’animaux et autres sons de la nature ainsi que de la société. À l’origine, chaque mouvement des Quatre Saisons étaient accompagnés de sonnets écrits par Vivaldi, permettant une lecture expressive de l’œuvre et du déroulement de chaque saison.

Voici le Printemps,
Que les oiseaux saluent d’un chant joyeux.
Et les fontaines, au souffle des zéphyrs,
Jaillissent en un doux murmure

– Concerto n˚1, Le Printemps (extrait)

« Vivaldi nous a légué ses célèbres Quatre saisons accompagnées d’un poème de son cru qui énumère tout ce qui y est décrit.  C’est précisément ce texte qui sera lu par la talentueuse Anne Dorval tout au long de la prestation de notre chère violon solo, la formidable violoniste Julie Triquet. » – Jean-François Rivest, conseiller artistique et premier chef invité

Depuis septembre 2012, Julie Triquet est violon solo chez I Musici de Montréal. Elle joue sur un violon Giusepe Odoardi 1786, généreusement prêté par M. David B. Sela.

Trembler violemment dans la neige étincelante,
Au souffle rude d’un vent terrible,
Courir, taper des pieds à tout moment
Et, dans l’excessive froidure, claquer des dents

– Concerto n˚4, L’Hiver (extrait)

Programme

Farina – Cappriccio stravagante
Biber – La Battalia
Vivaldi – Les 4 saisons

Vente de billets

Jeudi 9 décembre à 14h et 19h30 : salle Pierre-Mercure

Du 16 décembre 2021 au 2 janvier 2022 : webdiffusion

Plus d’informations

https://imusici.com/vivaldi-il-delirio-fantastico/

I Musici de Montréal

Fondé en 1984 par Yuli Turovsky, l’Orchestre de chambre I Musici de Montréal est composé de 15 musiciens d’exception, dont le répertoire varié s’étend du 17e siècle à aujourd’hui. Jean-François Rivest, artiste et pédagogue reconnu, en est le conseiller artistique et premier chef invité depuis janvier 2021. I Musici de Montréal interprète et fait la promotion d’une programmation originale misant sur la découverte, la tradition et l’innovation en musique classique.

Relations médias
Alain Labonté Communications
alain@alainlabonte.ca
514 815 2128

Montréal, October 4, 2021 – The I Musici de Montréal chamber orchestra is pleased to open its season with seven musicians from the group Kleztory and circus artist Mathilde K. Richer on Thursday, November 4 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Founded and directed by the prolific composer Airat Ichmouratov, Kleztory recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. This klezmer music group will fill you with happiness as you listen to irresistible rhythms typical of major Jewish celebrations and Eastern Europe. To take you to the skies and round out the evening’s touching and intimate moments, enjoy a performance by circus artist Mathilde K. Richer.

Kleztory is a rich mosaic of Russian, Quebec, and Canadian culture, trained and self-taught backgrounds, and classical, jazz, blues, and folk styles, all performed with enthusiasm along with  klezmer music. When the ensemble comes together, musicians show their virtuosity and emotions unique to klezmer, an Eastern European style hailing from the Ashkenazi Jewish instrumental tradition. In addition to traditional and new repertoire, Airat Ichmouratov, the group’s founder and a prolific composer, will present his fantasia for clarinet inspired by klezmer tunes.

Graduate of the National Circus School of Montreal since June 2021, Mathilde K. Richer is a young Montreal-born, up-and-coming circus artist specializing in aerial straps and aerial rope. Her approach leans towards the creation of an intimate, lyrical and eclectic vocabulary rooted in a state of authentic presence through performance, acrobatics, dance and music.

Program
Ichmouratov – One day of an almost ordinary life, klezmer clarinet.
Program inspired by Kleztory’s repertoire

Ticket sales
Thursday, Novembre 4 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. : salle Pierre-Mercure
From November 11 to November 21 : webdiffusion

For more information
https://imusici.com/klezmer-et-cirque/

I Musici de Montréal
The I Musici de Montréal chamber orchestra was founded by Yuli Turovsky in 1984. It is made up of 15 talented musicians and covers repertoire from the 17th century to the present day. Renowned artist and pedagogue Jean-François Rivest has been the I Musici conductor since January 2021. I Musici de Montréal presents and promotes original programming, putting emphasis on discovery, tradition, and innovation in classical music.

Media relations :
Alain Labonté Communications
alain@alainlabonte.ca

514 815 2128

Montréal, September 28, 2021 – The I Musici de Montréal chamber orchestra is pleased to release details of its 38th season. This will be the orchestra’s first season with Jean-François Rivest, new artistic advisor and principal guest conductor. All seven concerts will take place at Salle Pierre-Mercure in Centre Pierre-Péladeau, the orchestra’s new permanent venue. The hall was built specifically for I Musici de Montréal in 1992 upon recommendations by Yuli Turovsky. It will also be possible for audiences to attend concerts via webcast if they wish to enjoy them in the comfort of their own home.

The 2021–2022 season will put the spotlight on many artists hailing from the Montréal area. This falls neatly into our artistic style of celebrating and strengthening the relationship between artists and the community. Another founding aspect of our programming is the revival of string orchestra repertoire, which is part of I Musici’s soul and DNA. The greatest chamber music by Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Haydn, Schubert, Dvořák, Brahms, and Shostakovich is at the centre of it all.

Collaboration and versatility also guided us in our musical choices this season. Collaboration was made possible by combining art forms such as literature, theatre, and circus, and joining forces with other prominent ensembles such as Les Violons du Roy and Kleztory. Versatility will come in the form of diverse musical styles and periods, from 1680 with Corelli to 2022 with new musical compositions.

“Be part of an exciting experience that features a chamber orchestra at the height of its powers, a plethora of wonderful, diverse, and accessible masterpieces, a unique concert hall in the Quartier des spectacles, prestigious and much-loved guests, and the joy of being together again,” said Rivest.

2021–2022 Season

KLEZMER MEETS CIRCUS

Thursday, November 4, 2021, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

We decided to relaunch the season with a great celebration. Kleztory recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Made up of eight seasoned musicians, Kleztory will fill you with happiness as you listen to irresistible rhythms typical of major Jewish celebrations and Eastern Europe. In addition to traditional and new repertoire, Airat Ichmouratov, the group’s founder and a prolific composer, will present his fantasia for clarinet inspired by klezmer tunes. To take you to the skies and round out the evening’s touching and intimate moments, enjoy a performance by circus artist Mathilde K. Richer. She really knows how to defy the laws of gravity.

Ichmouratov: One Day of an Almost Ordinary Life, klezmer clarinet                    (20’)
Program inspired by Kleztory’s repertoire                                                                     (60’)

VIVALDI: IL DELIRIO FANTASTICO

Thursday, December 9, 2021, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Historically, composers used their imagination and cleverness to set dramatic events, wild environments, battles, village festivals, birdsongs, storms, animal sounds, and other natural and human sounds to music. Vivaldi passed his Four Seasons down to us with an old poem—a sonnet—that lists each element described in the music. This sonnet will be read to us by the fabulous Anne Dorval throughout the performance by the impressive solo violinist Julie Triquet.

Biber: Battalia                                                                                                 (10’)
Farina: Cappriccio stravagante                                                                   (16’)
Vivaldi: Four Seasons                                                                                     (43’)

VIRTUOSIC WOMEN

Thursday, January 27, 2022, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

This program gives women the platform they rightly deserve in our musical world with a composer, Linda Bouchard, and a virtuosic violinist, Sheila Jaffé, both from Montréal, the legendary character Carmen, and Nil Venditti, a talented, communicative guest conductor from Italy who will be visiting Canada for the first time. Because virtuosity is at the heart of this concert, you will be pleased with Sheila, Gypsy Airs by Sarasate, and marvellous variations on themes from Carmen.

Linda Bouchard: Réfraction (2015)                                                                     (10’)
Janáček: Idyll (1st, 4th, 5th, and 7th movements)                                            (19’)
Sarasate: Gypsy Airs for violin (arrangement for strings)                              (10’)
Bizet-Waxman: Carmen Fantasy for violin (arrangement for strings)        (10’)
Dvořák: Serenade for Strings in E major                                                             (30’)

STÉPHANE TÉTREAULT AND YULI’S LEGACY

Thursday, February 10, 2022, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

The late Yuli Turovsky was truly the centre of our orchestra for over 25 years. We have called on Stéphane Tétreault, a long-time collaborator and I Musici artist in residence, to honour and celebrate Turovsky—cellist and founder of the orchestra. Following the first half of the program dedicated to Haydn, we will offer you Schubert’s most famous quartet: Death and the Maiden. The dizzyingly fast technical challenges and Romanticism are truly on edge.

Haydn: Symphony No. 59 in A major, “Fire”                                                       (17’)
Haydn: Concerto No. 2 in D major                                                                         (25’)
Schubert: Death and the Maiden                                                                             (40’)

CHARLES RICHARD-HAMELIN AND SHOSTAKOVICH

Thursday, March 24, 2022, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

We have now come to I Musici’s core of great repertoire. Though Brahms’s Liebeslieder Waltzes are sweet, Shostakovich’s Third Quartet adapted by our conductor is filled with energy and intensity, which is part of our orchestra’s DNA! Who better to ask than much-loved pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin and the great trumpetist Stéphane Beaulac to perform Shostakovich’s Double Concerto, a work he composed in his twenties?

Brahms: Liebeslieder Walzer (Hermann), nos. 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 11, and 17                      (12’)
Shostakovich: Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Trumpet                                                   (23’)
Shostakovich: Quartet No. 3 (percussion adaptation by Jean-François Rivest)      (34’)

BAROQUE BRILLIANCE!

Thursday, April 14, 2022, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Everyone loves baroque music for its sophistication, beautiful harmonies, and moving solos. For Eastertide, we have programmed exceptional excerpts from Handel operas sung by the wonderful Andréanne Brisson Paquin and some of the most popular works from the baroque era. Who isn’t familiar with Pachelbel’s Canon by now? For some pieces, our soprano will be accompanied by Marjorie Tremblay’s oboe and our solo violin, Julie Triquet.

Purcell: Fantasia in Three Parts Upon a Ground in D major, Z. 731                          (5’30’’)
Bach: Sinfonia and “Seufzer Tränen” from Cantata BWV 21                                         (8’)
Handel: “Ah! spietato!” from Amadigi di Gaula, Act I, Scene IV                                 (5’25’’)
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major                                                                (15’30’’)
(2nd movement of the Italian Concerto BWV 971; violin transcription by Jean-François Rivest)
Handel: “Chi t’intende? o cieca instabile!” from Berenice, regina d’Egitto, Act III (10’30’’)
Handel: “Myself I shall adore” from Semele                                                                      (7’)
Bach: Passacaglia in C minor BWV 582 (transcription by Bernard Labadie)            (13’)
Bach: Suite for Orchestra No. 3, “Air”                                                                                (4’30’’)
Pachelbel: Canon (in three parts)                                                                                        (3’)

I MUSICI AND LES VIOLONS DU ROY

Thursday, May 26, 2022, Salle Pierre-Mercure (Montréal), 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 28, 2022, Église Saint-Dominique (Quebec City), 7:30 p.m.

A larger number of string players makes it possible to perform works that our ensemble could not play on their own, in particular Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night, one of the most poetic and Romantic pieces among the repertoire. Transfigured Night was based on a poem by Richard Dehmel (and will be read by Sophie Cadieux), telling the story of a love relationship that turns souls, anxiety, and darkness into peace and light. Our collaboration will work perfectly for Corelli’s Concerti grossi, as this work benefitted from a large orchestra. You will hear the Concerti grossi in all their brilliancy with our orchestra and the Violons du Roy, topped with a bass continuo made up of harpsichords, organ, guitars, and archlutes. Montréal-based composer Stacey Brown has graciously agreed to compose an unpublished work that will be presented during the concert.

Stacey Brown: unpublished composition                                                (12’)
Corelli: Concerti grossi, Op. 6 (excerpts)                                                 (30’)
Schoenberg: Transfigured Night                                                               (31’)

Ticket Sales
As of September 28, individual tickets and subscription packages for in-person concerts or webcasts will be available at www.imusici.com.

Discounts on regular admission for people 65 years and older, 35 and under, and youth up to 15 years of age.

For more information
https://imusici.com/en

I Musici de Montréal
The I Musici de Montréal chamber orchestra was founded by Yuli Turovsky in 1983. It is made up of 15 talented musicians and covers repertoire from the 17th century to the present day. Renowned artist and pedagogue Jean-François Rivest has been the I Musici conductor since January 2021. I Musici de Montréal presents and promotes original programming, putting emphasis on discovery, tradition, and innovation in classical music.

Media Relations:    Alain Labonté Communications
alain@alainlabonte.ca
514-815-2128