Name: Christian Blackshaw in quintet
Start: 2025-03-23T14:30:00
Location: The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Prepare to be enthralled as the Orchestre Métropolitain embarks on a breathtaking musical odyssey. From Virginia Woolf’s timeless Orlando to the enchanting melodies of Paris in 1900, this season promises a rich tapestry of orchestral wonders. Featuring a stellar lineup of conductors, soloists, and innovative adaptations, the series explores the evolution of music across centuries and continents. With performances ranging from Handel's Messiah to the resonant notes of Russian compositions, each concert is a celebration of cultural heritage and artistic excellence.

Orchestral Marvels: A Journey Through Time with Orchestre Métropolitain

The Orchestre Métropolitain is set to embark on a remarkable journey through a series of captivating concerts in 2025, each promising a unique musical experience. From the soulful interpretations of Yannick Nézet-Séguin to the innovative renditions by Christian Blackshaw, these events span a wide range of genres and themes. Highlights include performances of beloved classics and avant-garde compositions, with renowned artists like Bryan Cheng and Christoph Koncz gracing the stage. Whether revisiting Baroque masterpieces or celebrating the vibrant Belle Époque in Paris, the OM promises an unforgettable symphony of seasons.

A Symphony of Seasons: The Orchestre Métropolitain's Stellar Line-Up

Embark on a musical journey with Orchestre Métropolitain as they present an array of captivating performances ranging from piano quintets to symphonic masterpieces. Join celebrated artists like Christian Blackshaw and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, as they breathe life into the works of Mahler, Mozart, and more. These events, featuring talented performers and esteemed compositions, offer a rich tapestry of sound and emotion across Montreal's most renowned venues. Dive into the details of each event and discover the artistry that awaits.

A Musical Odyssey: Enchanting Performances by Orchestre Métropolitain

Embark on a fascinating journey through the world of music with Orchestre Métropolitain as they present an eclectic mix of performances that are set to captivate audiences. From the poignant compositions of Mahler and Franck to the soulful interpretations of Schubert and Mozart, these events are a testament to the timeless beauty and emotional depth of classical music. With performances highlighting the brilliance of baroque to the cultural vibrancy of the early 20th century in Paris, this musical season offers something for every music lover.

A Harmonious Exploration: The Diverse Musical World of Orchestre Métropolitain

Embark on a captivating journey through the heart of music with Orchestre Métropolitain's series of events. From Christian Blackshaw's intimate chamber performances to Yannick Nézet-Séguin's orchestral brilliance, discover a world where classical, baroque, and contemporary compositions come alive. Spanning venues across Montreal, this exploration includes the soulful depths of Schubert, Mozart's emotional landscapes, and the rich tapestries of Baroque to the elegance of Paris, 1900. Each event uniquely captures the essence of musical artistry, offering audiences a profound experience that transcends time and place.

Exploring Musical Masterpieces: A Journey with Orchestre Métropolitain

Montreal's Orchestre Métropolitain has curated an impressive lineup of concerts in 2025 that promises to enchant classical music enthusiasts. From the evocative piano renditions of Christian Blackshaw to the historically rich Baroque interpretations by Fabio Biondi, each event offers a unique musical experience. Highlights include Yannick Nézet-Séguin's commanding orchestral interpretations and a standout showcase of cultural history in Paris, 1900. Join us as we delve into these exceptional performances that celebrate the timeless beauty of classical music.

A Symphony of Sounds: Exploring the Masterful Performances at Orchestre Métropolitain's 2025 Events

Christian Blackshaw

Orchestre Métropolitain

Discover the elegant, captivating world of Mel Bonis as the OM’s musicians continue their exploration of great women composers. Written in the early 20th century, Bonis’s works for flute and strings combine lyricism and a distinctly French sensitivity. From intimate miniatures to major quartets, her enchanting chamber music is gradually claiming its rightful place on the classical stage.

Hidden Gems by Mel Bonis

Outremont Theatre

Symphony of Life is an orchestral and cinematic tribute to the beauty of the living world. For the film’s world premiere, presented in concert, Anaïs Larocque’s evocative music, created in close collaboration with filmmaker Marie-Julie Dallaire, will be performed by the OM under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Imagined by explorer Mario Cyr, who brings the film’s magnificent underwater imagery to life, this sensory and moving immersion into the animal world presents an egalitarian vision of the coexistence of all living beings on Earth.

Symphony of Life

Place des Arts

Some figures endure through the centuries, inspiring the greatest artists. Manon Lescaut, the heroine of the Abbé Prévost novel, embodies tragic passion: smitten and seductive, yet doomed to a cruel fate. Soprano Sarah Dufresne brings this legendary figure to life by combining arias from two famous adaptations, by Auber and Massenet, to map out her psychological journey.

Heroines and Lyrical Passions

Église catholique Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs

Mercier Public Library

Paroisse St-Joachim de Pointe-Claire

This grand choral concert takes audiences on a winter journey blending celebration and enchantment. From the first notes of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel to Rimsky-Korsakov’s captivating Christmas Eve, the music transports the audience to a magical world. Berlioz, Vaughan Williams and Price add pastoral warmth and comfort with timeless melodies like “Greensleeves.” With Mendelssohn and Rutter, audiences are enveloped in radiant music that celebrates the spirit of Christmas.

Choral Christmas at the Basilica

Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal

The highly anticipated Holiday Melodies returns to the OM! Conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, this festive program explores the meaning of the holidays across generations, from timeless classics to today’s standards, including jazz, gospel and Christmas melodies. Featuring exceptional artists such as Louis-Jean Cormier, Dominique Fils-Aimé and Elisabeth St-Gelais, this joyful and moving concert celebrates all the magic of the season.

Holiday Melodies

Can love withstand the inevitable passage of time? Absent from Montreal stages for more than thirty years, Richard Strauss’s operatic masterpiece Der Rosenkavalier returns in a concert version co-produced with the Opéra de Montréal and the Orchestre Métropolitain. Nostalgic for Viennese waltzes as well as for Mozartian comedy, Strauss unfolds music of elegance and emotional richness that continues to captivate audiences.

Der Rosenkavalier

Step into the world of Drôlement débrouillards with biologist and comedian Vikie Pedneault, as the Maison symphonique becomes the beloved Télé-Québec host’s next playground. For the first time, she will conduct a symphony orchestra, her ultimate dream, leading the OM in a performance filled with emotion. Will she succeed? With her quick wit and scientific precision, Vikie will work with Benoit Gauthier to make 60 musicians vibrate as one… and avoid any wrong notes! Combining classics and brilliant surprises, this concert will delight audiences of all ages.

Drôlement débrouillards

Step into the world of Drôlement débrouillards with biologist and comedian Vikie Pedneault, as the Maison symphonique becomes the beloved Télé-Québec host’s next playground. For the first time, she will conduct a symphony orchestra—her ultimate dream—leading the OM in a performance filled with emotion. Will she succeed? With her quick wit and scientific precision, Vikie will work with Benoit Gauthier to make 60 musicians vibrate as one… and avoid any wrong notes! Combining classics and brilliant surprises, this concert will delight audiences of all ages.

Drôlement débrouillards (School matinees)

Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony celebrates human wonder in the face of nature’s joy and grandeur. More than 200 years after this work’s revolutionary premiere, its message remains powerful and modern, reflecting the deep bond between humans and their environment.  

Pastorals: Beethoven and New Canadian Creations

Scène de Quartier

Centre Leonardo Da Vinci

Paroisse Notre Dame de l'Annonciation

Schubert’s “Trout Quintet” is one of the composer’s most popular and appealing works. Its title comes from a song that serves as the basis for a set of delightful variations. Twenty years later, French pianist and composer Louise Farrenc followed in Schubert’s footsteps, adopting an equally lyrical and refined style in her piano quintets.

Schubert and Farrenc: The Art of the Quintet

Théâtre du Marais

Desjardins Cultural Centre

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Cégep de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu

Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony celebrates human wonder in the face of nature’s joy and grandeur. More than 200 years after this work’s revolutionary premiere, its message remains powerful and modern, reflecting the deep bond between humans and their environment.

Beethoven’s Pastoral (School Matinees)

Though best known for his film scores, John Williams is also among the most prolific concerto composers of our time. His Trumpet Concerto brilliantly showcases this dazzling instrument, performed here by virtuoso Matilda Lloyd. The suite from Far and Away creates a bridge with European traditions, drawing on Irish musical colours.

John Williams and Rachmaninoff

Sportmax Day Camp

Cégep Marie Victorin

The great pianist Christian Blackshaw, a Bourgie Hall regular, will join OM chamber musicians to perform three of the most beautiful pieces for small ensembles by Mahler, Franck and Dvořák.

Christian Blackshaw in quintet

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