Haydn played a key role in the evolution of the string quartet, and his final Quartet Op. 77  No. 2 is full of subtle experimentation that is both inventive and elegant. Meanwhile, Shostakovich reinterprets classical forms in his Quintet, infusing it with his deeply personal language and profound emotional intensity.

Haydn and Shostakovich: A Striking Contrast

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

For the 10th edition of its Opus concert series, the Choeur Métropolitain presents great choral works by Stravinsky and Brahms, accompanied by two pianists. In his highly rhythmic Symphony of Psalms, Stravinsky drew inspiration from both the Eastern sounds of Byzantine music and the musical traditions of the Latin West, including Gregorian chant.

EPSG:4326

German Waltzes and Latin Psalms

Place des Arts

Green cello, blue bassoon, yellow piccolo—the vibrant hues of French music unfold like a painting by Monet or Gauguin, capturing fleeting moments of magic, conjuring fairytale worlds and whisking us away to distant lands. Ravel’s Ma Mère l’Oye contains five movements inspired by well-known fairy tales, while Mel Bonis evokes a sensual, dreamlike world in her Rêve de Cléopâtre.

Colour Play

Collège Jean-Eudes

Mercier Public Library

Paroisse Notre Dame de l'Annonciation

Paroisse St-Joachim de Pointe-Claire

This program contrasts Beethoven’s vibrant Symphony No. 8 with Shostakovich’s powerful Leningrad Symphony, a poignant work that captures the spirit of resistance to oppression. The striking juxtaposition of Beethoven’s joy and Shostakovich’s depiction of a dramatic historical moment promises an intense and captivating concert experience.

The Intense Leningrad Symphony by Shostakovich

Podcast link: https://youtu.be/4hagYvrYbuM

The Artelize Podcast and Kasper Holten - Pedefining Opera for the modern world

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d36M5Hi6O80

The Artelize Podcast - A legacy of innovation in Opera: Celebrating Marc A. Scorca

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59E40S_EQSY

The Artelize Podcast: A love letter that was never sent

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THv6htilWtI

The Artelize Podcast and Adolfo Corrado: Mediterranean flavors, opera and social media

Dvořák’s renowned quartet takes on a more expansive scope in this arrangement for string orchestra, as Kerson Leong and Les Violons du Roy once again combine their talent and energy in a collaboration that remains as strong as ever. They promise an electrifying encounter on the occasion of a new work by François Dompierre.

Beautés des Amériques

Palais Montcalm – Maison de la musique

The OSM presents three extraordinary works in an explosive musical fireworks display. Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, performed by the brilliant Bruce Liu, shines in this program. Also featured is Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, first premiered on May 29, 1913. This revolutionary work, depicting a pagan ritual from Slavic traditions involving the sacrifice of a young girl to bring spring, caused a riot at its scandalous debut but is now celebrated as a cornerstone of modern music. To add even more sparkle to the concert, the orchestra will premiere a composition by celebrated Quebec composer Denis Gougeon, known for his lyricism, rhythmic energy, and deep expressiveness.

The Rite of Spring

In this solo recital, organist Jan Kraybill showcases her exceptional command of the Grand Orgue Pierre-Béique’s pedalboard, guiding you on a unique musical voyage from Bach’s Baroque Germany to Sowerby’s America. This is something you’ll want to see and hear!

The organ put its best feet foward

A meeting with the sublime Dixit Dominus by Handel, a work of remarkable vocal virtuosity and expressive power, making it one of the composer’s greatest choral masterpieces. Bach’s motet Jesu, meine Freude also belongs to the finest sacred repertoire of the entire Baroque era. Opening the program is a brief yet deeply moving motet by Bach’s predecessor at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig.

Handel, Dixit Dominus

Discover the brilliant pianist Yulianna Avdeeva, winner of the prestigious 2010 Chopin Competition, as she brings her masterful technique and poetic sensitivity to Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Her expressive depth and refinement promise to illuminate every note. Meanwhile, Schoenberg’s orchestration of Brahms’ Quartet Op. 25 enhances its richness while remaining true to its original spirit—a transformation Brahms himself would have appreciated!

Chopin and Brahms: Masters of Romanticism

This program highlights the viola’s deep, expressive voice in Canadian composer Cassandra Miller’s Concerto, a poignant reflection on separation premiered in 2023 by Lawrence Power. Meanwhile, Debussy paints a vivid portrait of the sea with impressionistic colours, immersing listeners in a nostalgic and dreamlike soundscape. Enjoy a musical journey that is both powerful and poetic.

Wagner and Debussy: From Love to the Sea

One of Tchaikovsky’s most personal works lends its name to this concert, promising a transporting and deeply felt journey that spans both geographical routes and more intimate paths of memory and profound impressions. Our voyage also includes a new piece by composer Barbara Assiginaak, written for flutist Ariane Brisson, who will be performing its premiere.

Souvenir de Florence

In May, under the baton of Kevin Zakresky, Heroes : A Video Game Symphony will immerse us in the greatest video game themes, from Fallout to Assassin’s Creed, as well as World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy, with projections and sequences from these landmark games for several generations.

Heroes: a video game symphony

In the opening chords of his Piano Concerto, Grieg informs the audience that something extraordinary is about to unfold. With the iconic descending chordal motif, the formidable pianist Michelle Cann seizes attention in an instant. But first, conductor Lina González-Granados sets the stage with Grieg’s famous Peer Gynt Suite and the stirring Overture in D Minor by Croatian composer Dora Pejačević.

Grieg, Nordic Sun

Centre Leonardo Da Vinci

Église catholique Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs

In this 60-minute Symphonic Happy Hour, experience the extraordinary talent of Jason Xu, winner of the 2024 OSM Competition, as he brings out the full technical richness of the saxophone in Frank Martin’s Ballade. Camille Pépin will captivate you with the vibrant energy of Vajrayana, while Mussorgsky will take you on a journey through his imagined museum with Pictures at an Exhibition, a stunning work enriched by beautiful orchestral colours.

Pictures at an Exhibition

The Ring Without Words is an orchestral suite that distills the most iconic themes from Richard Wagner’s monumental tetralogy, The Ring of the Nibelung. This 70-minute symphonic fresco encapsulates the essence of the 15-hour epic, telling the tale of a magical ring forged by the dwarf Alberich from gold stolen from the Rhine. While the ring grants immense power, it also brings ruin and destruction to those who possess it. Wotan, the king of the gods, attempts to control the ring but fails, leading to the gods’ downfall. Betrayed and manipulated, the hero Siegfried is killed by Hagen, son of Alberich. Brünnhilde, the Valkyrie, daughter of Wotan and wife of Siegfried, returns the ring to the Rhine, marking the end of an era. The Ring Without Words offers an immersive journey through Wagner’s world, highlighting its most memorable moments, including the prelude to Das Rheingold, the Ride of the Valkyries, Siegfried’s death and funeral music, and the apocalyptic conclusion in Twilight of the Gods. In a thrilling season finale, the soaring lyricism of Schumann’s Piano Concerto, performed by pianist Yefim Bronfman, contrasts with the destructive power of gold in Wagner’s epic, creating a stunning clash of opposing powers.

Wagner and the Legend of the Ring

Rome is where Corelli developed the concerto grosso, where Respighi was inspired while celebrating its beauty, and where Nino Rota composed countless film scores. For Handel, Rome played a decisive role during his early career, even though his opera about the most famous Roman emperor was composed in London. This tribute to the Eternal City will mark the debut of contralto Rose Naggar-Tremblay and young conductor Kyrian Friedenberg with Les Violons du Roy.

Les Violons à Rome, de Corelli à Nino Rota

Hope for a better, more united, more empathetic world inspired the programming of this concert, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. “I dare look up,” says Florence Price, the first African American composer, in her Song of Hope. Following in her footsteps, Margaret Bonds drew inspiration from the civil rights movement for her Montgomery Variations, dedicated to Martin Luther King.

Songs of Hope

In this edition of the Concerts éclatés series, discover the acclaimed clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, widely praised by critics for his instrumental mastery and versatility across musical genres. With remarkable expressive freedom, the program showcases dances by Kodály and Bartók and Azmeh’s suite, where the clarinet takes centre stage in a dynamic musical dialogue that blends improvisation with traditional melodies.

Clarinet, Improvisation, and Traditions

Clarinetist Kinan Azmeh captivates audiences with his fluid, nuanced playing and remarkable improvisational talent. Joined by the OSM, he will showcase a program that blends creative freedom, Bartók’s folk-inspired motifs, and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s innovative sensitivity. The evening concludes with Mozart’s graceful and elegant Symphony No. 39.

From Bartók to Mozart: Flute, Improvisation, and Symphony

This program brings together three contrasting works, each exploring the theme of hope in the face of hardship. López and Childs delve into the pain of displacement and loss, while Mahler, in his quest for a transcendent refuge, paints a luminous picture of the heavenly joys of childhood. A compelling program that uses the power of classical music to inspire reflection on humanity, spiritual yearning, and the beauty of life.

Events in Montreal, QC

Haydn and Shostakovich: A...

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

German Waltzes and Latin ...

Orchestre Métropolitain

Colour Play

Orchestre Métropolitain

The Intense Leningrad Sym...

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

The Artelize Podcast and ...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast - A ...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast: A l...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast and ...

Artelize

Beautés des Amériques

Les Violons du Roy

The Rite of Spring

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

The organ put its best fe...

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

Handel, Dixit Dominus

Les Violons du Roy

Chopin and Brahms: Master...

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

Wagner and Debussy: From ...

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

Souvenir de Florence

Les Violons du Roy

Heroes: a video game symp...

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

Grieg, Nordic Sun

Orchestre Métropolitain

Pictures at an Exhibition...

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

Wagner and the Legend of ...

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

Les Violons à Rome, de Co...

Les Violons du Roy

Songs of Hope

Orchestre Métropolitain

Clarinet, Improvisation, ...

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

From Bartók to Mozart: Fl...

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

López, Childs, and Mahler...

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal