Orchestre Métropolitain Announces 2025

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Montreal, April 15, 2025 – For its next season, the Orchestre Métropolitain and its artistic director Yannick Nézet-Séguin take us into the infinite universe of music, opening the door to new worlds that will resonate within us and inhabit us long after the last chord has fallen silent.

First and foremost, Mahler’s sublime universe is revealed in his Third Symphony, a grandiose, unique work in which the composer reveals our Earth, its flora and fauna, in all its beauty. The voice of humanity in this portrait of creation is none other than the great mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato!

In keeping with OM tradition, the first notes of the season will be those of a First Nations composer. This year, those first notes are a commission of the OM for Blackfoot composer Sonny-Ray Day Rider.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Credit: Vladim Vilain / Shootstudio.ca

Stellar soloists

The OM then concludes its exploration of the musical world of Sibelius with the Finnish composer’s last two symphonies, the final yet to be performed symphonies Sibelius cycle begun in 2018. This concert, dedicated entirely to Sibelius, is rounded off by his most famous work, the Violin Concerto, performed by
virtuoso Lisa Batiashvili, long-time collaborator and friend of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who will be making her OM debut.

Other very big names in music will be joining the OM and Yannick Nézet-Séguin as part of this superb season. Jean-Guihen Queyras, who was part of the OM’s very first European tour in 2017, will be back to perform Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in the concert Echoes of the Forest. This program will also be an opportunity to discover a major forgotten score: the Symphonie de la forêt by French composer Rita Strohl.

Another long-time friend of Yannick and the OM, world-famous pianist Hélène Grimaud, will perform Gershwin’s Concerto in F at the season-closing concert. AfricanAmerican composers Florence Price and Margaret Bonds will also be in the spotlight at this concert. Yannick Nézet-Séguin will also exhibit his deep knowledge on Bernstein and his legacy, already well-respected in part thanks to his role as consultant for Bradley Cooper’s film Maestro, by performing one of the composer’s major works, the Chichester Psalms.

Promoting the next generation of local talent

Alongside these international artists with phenomenal careers, the OM is also showcasing local conductors and soloists, or those who are having a brilliant start to their professional careers, continuing its mission to be a springboard for both local talent and the next generation of talent.

As such, young Venezuelan conductor Glass Marcano, who dazzled the orchestra and the audience during her last appearance in the spring of 2024, is back on the podium alongside young Canadian pianist Tony Siqi Yun, who was part of OM’s 2024 American tour. They are reunited for a concert featuring Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony, Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Kauyumari by Mexico’s Gabriela Ortiz, who won her first Grammy (for Best Contemporary Classical Music Composition) at the the 2025 Grammy Awards.

Canadian Naomi Woo, who recently trained at the OM Academy of Orchestral Conducting , leads a spellbinding
concert entitled Symphonic Spells. The program includes Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz No. 1, Augusta Holmès’ Andromède, Mussorgsky’s A Night on Bald Mountain and the “Witches’ Ballet” from Verdi’s Macbeth. Added to this is Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1, performed by Maximilian Hornung,
who made a remarkable debut at OM in 2019.

A true Montreal gem, the Trio Hochelaga takes center stage at the concert Colour Play conducted by François Leleux with Jacques Hétu’s Triple Concerto, a work the Quebec composer wrote specifically for them. The French conductor continues the program with key works of French repertoire by Ravel, Bonis, Fauré and Bizet.

Closer to home, in the very heart of our orchestra, the soloist for the concert Tchaikovsky’s Fifth concert is none other than OM Principal Bassoon Michel Bettez, performing the concerto written for him by Russian-Canadian composer Airat Ichmouratov. The concert’s eponymous piece, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, joins
Rachmaninov’s Isle of the Dead to complete the program conducted by Kensho Watanabe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s very first conducting student and one of OM’s favorite conductors.

Although not exactly a newcomer to the classical music scene, pianist Michelle Cann has undeniably grabbed the spotlight, winning a Grammy Award for her album Beyond The Years – Unpublished Songs Of Florence Price with
soprano Karen Slack. She will perform Grieg’s celebrated Piano Concerto under the direction of conductor Lina Gonzalez-Granados in a concert that also includes the Peer Gynt Suite, the Overture in D minor by Latvian composer Dora Pejačević and Symphony No. 2 “The Four Temperaments” by Dane Carl Nielssen.

Between tradition and novelty

The regular season is complemented by a more unusual form of concert, with a program revolving around the world of English cinema. This concert, conducted by Andrew Crust, will take us from the dramas of Shakespeare to James Bond and Harry Potter.

In terms of special concerts, the Christmas concerts are heading in a new direction… but with some great classics. First, for the sacred work presented at Montreal’s Notre- Dame Basilica, Handel’s Messiah gives way this year to one of the most emblematic works of the holiday season, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. Quebec soloists Anna-Sophie Neher, Julie Boulianne, Frédéric Antoun and Geoffroy Salvas will be accompanied by a choir of professional singers.

A tribute to André Gagnon, whose album Neiges celebrates its 50th anniversary, completes the festive program. Pianists Rousso and Julie Lamontagne will join conductor Léa Moisan-Perrier and the Chœur Métropolitain to revive this legendary album, which skilfully bridges the gap between classical and popular music. Choral works will be integrated into the program to get the audience in the holiday mood.

The family concert, The Feather and the Turtle, is also about tradition, and more specifically, oral tradition.
Inspired by native tales from the collection Tales from the Turtle, published by Éditions Hannenorak, this story
recounts the origins of all stories and the transmission of traditions. To bring a touch of magic to these fantastic
tales, Dave Jenniss’s staging will be punctuated by musical excerpts from Canadian composers, conducted by Thomas Le Duc-Moreau.

The program for the Chœur Métropolitain’s Opus concert, now in its tenth year, features two contrasting works:
Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and Brahms’ German Requiem, in piano versions arranged by the composers themselves.

The Montrealers’ Orchestra

It’s in the OM’s DNA to be accessible to Montreal audiences wherever across the entire island. That’s why the Zhao-Ionescu Series will once again feature numerous concerts in the boroughs this season. Verdun, Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Pointe-Claire, Mercier – Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Saint-Léonard, Saint-Laurent, Rivière-des-Prairies – Pointe-aux-Trembles, Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie… The OM will be thrilling Montrealers with 16 concerts, all over the island, thanks to the support of the Conseil des Arts de Montréal (CAM) on tour.

Concerts for all tastes

At Orchestre Métropolitain, we believe that everyone can enjoy symphonic music. You just have to find your style! That’s why we’ve created the Symphonic Personality Test. With just a few fun questions, we can guide you to the concerts you’re most likely to enjoy. Whether your personality is curious, serene, passionate, timeless or energetic, you can find three concerts that match your style.

Curated subscriptions have been created for each of these personalities.

To take the Symphonic Personality Test:
htps://orchestremetropolitain.com/en/the-symphonic-personalities/