The musicians
I Musici de Montréal
The musicians
I Musici de Montréal
Solo violin
Julie Triquet
Julie Triquet began her violin studies at the tender age of three under Claude Létourneau. She went on to study at the Conservatoire de musique de Québec and has since received three annual professional development grants from the Canada Council for the Arts to study under David Cerone and Aaron Rosand at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. While in Philadelphia, Julie Triquet received the coveted Sylva-Gelber Music Foundation Award presented by the Canada Council for the Arts. In 1982, Julie won first prize at the OSM Standard Life Competition. This award paved the way for subsequent appearances with the best orchestras in Quebec, with which Julie distinguished herself as a soloist. Further recognition of her exceptional talent and passion for chamber music came in 1988, when Julie was named first violin with the Arthur-Leblanc Quartet, then in residence at the Université de Moncton, New Brunswick. From 1993 to 1998, Julie served as co-solo violin with Les Violons du Roy of Québec City. In September 2012, she was appointed solo violin with the Orchestre de chambre I Musici de Montréal. Julie Triquet plays a Giuseppe Odoardi 1786 violin generously loaded by Mr. David B. Sela.
Violin
Amélie Benoît-Bastien
Amélie Benoit Bastien holds a PhD in Interpretation from the Université de Montréal under the direction of Mr. Claude Richard. Her musical development led her to play for renowned violinists such as Pinchas Zukerman, David Cerone, Paul Kantor, Pierre Amoyal, Mark Fewer and Andrew Dawes. Winner of a prestigious scholarship from the Faculty of Graduate Studies of Université Montréal from 2005 to 2008, she won several awards and scholarships, including those of the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières, the Festival de musique du Royaume, the CBC Young Artists competition and the Canadian Music Competition. A very versatile musician, she was called upon to perform several different roles, both as guest violin at the Gatineau Symphony Orchestra during the 2016-2016 season-2017, as a chamber musician in the Allegra concert series since 2015 and as a studio musician where she participated in multiple recordings. In 2016-2017, she participated in Céline Dion’s Quebec and European tour. An accomplished violinist, she is also dedicated to teaching the violin, which she considers an invaluable source of discoveries and challenges. Always very enthusiastic to share her passion and strong of several good years of teaching in the network of the Conservatoires de musique et d’art dramatique du Québec, she currently holds a professorship at Lionel Groulx College.
Violin
Hubert Brizard
Graduating from the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal, where he studied with Johanne Arel and Helmut Lipsky, Hubert Brizard began his chamber music career with the Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal (ECM+). Regular contributor to the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne and the Société de Musique Contemporaine du Québec, he actively participates in the development and creation of new music. In 2022, he joined the Ensemble Paramirabo, a contemporary music sextet working in the creation and dissemination of new works. In addition to his activities as a chamber musician, Hubert performs with various ensembles throughout the province, such as the Sherbrooke Symphony Orchestra, the Estuary Symphony Orchestra, and the FILMharmonique Orchestra, with which he participates in many concerts, including Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Supernumerary with I Musici for several years, he has been a regular member of the orchestra since June 2022.
Violin
Dominic Guilbault
Mr. Guilbault began his studies at the University of Montreal where he obtained a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as well as a Graduate Diploma under the tutelage of Mr. Claude Richard. He continued his studies in Austria in the postgraduate program at the Universität fur Musik und darstellende Kunst Wienwith Prof. Christian Altenburger. He has performed in masterclasses for many distinguished musicians in Canada and Europe such as Gérard Poulet, Taras Gabora, Laurence Kayaleh, Régis Pasquier, Erich Höbarth and Ivry Gitlis.
Mr. Guilbault is a laureate of many competitions in Québec and Canada: first price at Festival de Musique du Royaume in 2006, Guy Soucis award at Prix d’Europe 2009. He also won the Etoile Galaxie award as a member of the Trio Mont-Royal in 2007. He has been a recipient of the Scholarship of the Fondation de soutient aux arts de Laval seven times in a row and has received funding from the Conseil des Arts et des lettres du Québec.
As soloist he has been performed with L’Orchestre de l’Université de Montréal and with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. He was also a semi-finalist in the Vibrate competition in Paris in 2009.
Mr. Guilbault has worked with the Royal Northern Sinfonia in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow. He is now based in Montréal and is a full time member of the Orchestre de chambre I Musici de Montréal.
Violin
Marie-Claire Vaillancourt
A native of Drummondville, Marie-Claire Vaillancourt has been a member of the Orchestre Métropolitain since 2024 and associate concertmaster of her hometown’s symphony orchestra since 2018. She joins the ranks of I Musici de Montréal in 2026. A graduate of the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, where she studied with Johanne Arel, she earned a master’s degree in performance, awarded a Prix avec grande distinction. Numerous workshops and master classes have given her the opportunity to work with such masters as Pierre Amoyal, Leonidas Kavakos, Vadim Repin, Pinchas Zukerman and Raymond Dessaints. Winner of several competitions, Marie-Claire has performed as a soloist with a number of orchestras, including the Orchestre symphonique de Drummondville, the Ensemble Amati, the Sinfonia de Lanaudière, the Appassionata chamber orchestra, the Orchestre classique de Montréal and the Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil. A devoted chamber musician, she received a Prix avec distinction in that discipline at her Conservatoire competition in 2017. She was a founding member of the Quatuor Andara from 2014 to 2024, an ensemble that took her on tour in both the United States and Europe. Marie-Claire Vaillancourt plays an Andrea Guarneri violin (Cremona, 1660) and a Hill violin bow by Arthur J. Barnes, nicknamed “Harry,” both generously loaned to her by CANIMEX INC of Drummondville, Quebec.
Viola
Thierry Lavoie-Ladouceur
Thierry Lavoie-Ladouceur is Associate Principal Viola of the Orchestre Métropolitain under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin and has been a member of the I Musici de Montréal chamber orchestra since 2022. These orchestras have taken him to perform on major international stages, including the Philharmonie de Paris, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. As a chamber musician, he has participated in the Montreal Chamber Music Festival, the Lachine Schubert Festival, the Festival du Domaine Forget, and the National Youth Orchestra.
Alongside his performing career, he is active in management, marketing, and cultural administration, collaborating with several organizations, including the Canadian Music Competition, I Musici de Montréal, and the Montreal Chamber Music Festival. He holds a Master’s degree in Viola with Distinction from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Cultural Organization Management from HEC Montréal.
Viola
Madeleine Messier
Madeleine Messier has been a member of the Orchestre de chambre I Musici de Montréal since 1987.
Viola
Elvira Misbakhova
Cello
Tim Halliday
Tim Halliday fell in love with the cello at the tender age of 4. At the age of 14 he secured a position with the London Orchestra (Canada). After completing his studies under Marcel St-Cyr and Antonio Lysy at McGill University, he joined the Orchestre de chambre I Musici in 1995. He is the busy father of two wonderful children.
Cello
Vincent Bergeron
Cellist Vincent Bergeron is emerging as a rising figure on the Quebec music scene, recognized for the richness of his playing, the sensitivity of his interpretations and the depth of his artistic commitment. Trained under David Ellis, Denis Brott and Elizabeth Dolin, he was awarded the Prix avec grande distinction at the 2018 Concours du Conservatoire de musique de Montréal — a distinction the jury confers only on rare occasions. Since 2024, he has been a permanent member of the Orchestre Métropolitain under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, with whom he has performed on international tours in some of the world’s foremost concert halls. In June 2026, he officially joined I Musici de Montréal. A sought-after chamber musician, Vincent Bergeron has shared the stage with internationally renowned artists including Denis Brott, Kerson Leong, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Charles Richard-Hamelin. His musical approach is defined by a constant pursuit of refinement, authenticity and connection with the audience. Vincent Bergeron plays an Anselmo Bellosio cello (Venice, 1760) and a Roger François Lotte bow, generously loaned by CANIMEX INC. (Drummondville, Quebec).
Double bass
Yannick Chênevert
Yannick Chênevert earned a master’s degree with great distinction from the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal in 1999, studying with René Gosselin. His versatility puts him at ease in various musical genres, including Classical, Baroque, contemporary, pop, and jazz. Chênevert performs with all of the major ensembles and orchestras in the Montreal region, and he is particularly active in the recording studio. He has been a member of the Nouvel ensemble moderne since 2000, and he regularly appears with the Orchestre Métropolitain, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Orchestre symphonique de Québec, and Les Violons du Roy. He has been a member of I Musici since April 2012.
