Orchestral - my/maSCENA

Véronique Lussier: From Teaching to the Stage

By Adrian Rodriguez on 31 January 2025 Orchestral

After giving up a stable career as a music teacher, Véronique Lussier decided to follow a new passion, conducting. She pursued a doctorate at the Université de Montréal under the tutelage of Jean-François Rivest and Paolo Bellomia. In her ambitious thesis, she conceived the Orchestre philharmonique du Québec’s Projet Ambassadeur (2015-20, formerly OSDL), combining classical and popular music concerts with multimedia elements. In collaboration with Développement des publics de la musique au Québec, this project contributed to the democratization of classical music and spotlighted many emerging artists. Since then, Lussier established herself on the Quebec scene. Between 2021 and 2024,…

Photo: M2Photographie

Olga Kern and the Orchestre Philharmonique du Quebec: Russian Romantic Alchemy

By Viktor Lazarov on 31 January 2025 Orchestral

When sparks fly between two musicians, a profound human and artistic complicity can result—and magic happens on stage. Supported by Orchestre philharmonique du Québec (OPQ), pianist Olga Kern and Conductor Alexandre Da Costa aim to achieve this alchemy in The Summit of Rachmaninoff at Montreal’s Maison symphonique on March 16. “Playing with an orchestra is as intimate as making chamber music,” says Kern, winner of the prestigious Van Cliburn competition in 2001. “As a soloist, I listen to all the instruments and try to match the sound of the piano to that of the oboe, flute or violin. I’ve known…

Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser. Photo: Cody Pickens

Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser: Living a Gesamtkunstwerk Life

By Kaitlyn Chan on 31 January 2025 Classical Music, Interviews, Orchestral

Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser’s name has become synonymous with diversity of programming. In 2019, he was featured in the CBC documentary Disruptor Conductor in which he brings orchestral music to young people, the LGBTQ+ community, people on the autism spectrum and prison populations. And in recent years, he has conducted numerous shows that aim to educate, connect, and celebrate the unique communities in every city where he works. Bartholomew-Poyser is currently the Barrett principal education conductor and community ambassador at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO). In this role, he often conducts relaxed performances for the neurodiverse and disability communities. He encourages…

Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra: Innovating the Community Orchestra

By Eva Stone-Barney on 31 January 2025 Classical Music, Education, Interviews, Orchestral

When the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1980, its members could hardly have imagined what the organization would evolve into 45 years later. Under the leadership of Ronald Royer, who took over as music director in 2009, the SPO has embraced change and challenge alike, transforming itself into a truly modern organization. Royer’s attachment to the orchestra is personal: prior to his appointment as music director, he was the group’s composer-in-residence. His wife, clarinetist Kaye Royer, has played with the SPO for more than 30 years. It therefore comes as no surprise that Ronald Royer’s decision to assume a…

Tafelmusik’s Baroque Brew: Triple Espresso With Alfredo Bernardini

By Heather Weinreb on 31 January 2025 Baroque and Early, Classical Music, Interviews, Orchestral, Strings, Toronto, Winds

When baroque oboist Alfredo Bernardini first performed with Tafelmusik in 1982, the baroque oboe was a much rarer specimen than it is today. “At the time,” he says, “there were only a handful of baroque oboists in the world.” Bernardini was fortunate, then, to be performing alongside his teacher Bruce Haynes, an early pioneer who uncovered a lot of the history, repertoire and technique of the instrument. Bernardini also considers himself fortunate, now, to be returning to play with Tafelmusik, a group he holds in high esteem. Tafelmusik “is a very special group,” he says. “It is one of the…

Alexis Hauser and the McGill Symphony Orchestra

By Viktor Lazarov on 31 January 2025 Canadian Music, Chamber Music, Classical, Classical Music, Montreal, Orchestral

Approaching 25 years of legacy A tall, energetic, and confident head of luscious white hair makes its way through rows of student performers comprising the McGill Symphony Orchestra (MGSO). With exacting standards, Maestro Alexis Hauser’s baton cuts through the air like decisive strokes of a sharp sabre. Yet, his generously open, music-loving heart, sincere communication and infectious good humour fill orchestra players and audience members with a sense of assurance and comfort. A beloved presence at the helm of the MGSO for nearly 25 years, Maestro Hauser recalls his encounters with conducting greatness during his youthful student days in Vienna,…

Jordan de Souza: A Canadian in Europe

By Catherine Kustanczy on 31 January 2025 Arts Industry, Classical Music, Interviews, Orchestral

Jordan de Souza has stood on the podium of some of the world’s most famous stages, but has no doubts about the classical music scene in his home and native land. “There’s so much great music-making happening in Canada,” says the busy conductor. “I think that’s clear from one end of the country to the other.” Much of de Souza’s life has been based in and around the European classical world for the better part of two decades. Yet, appreciation for his Canadian training has stayed with him. “I think we musicians are built, in a way, on all the…

Orchestras Guide for Quebec and Ontario

By La Scena Musicale Team on 31 January 2025 Canadian Music, Classical, Classical Music, Montreal, Orchestral, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto

QUEBEC Arion Orchestre Baroque arionbaroque.com At the heart of Montreal’s musical life for over forty years, Arion Orchestre Baroque is a pioneer in Quebec and Canada in the world of early music on period instruments. Under the artistic direction of conductor and bassoonist Mathieu Lussier since 2019, Arion presents a concert series featuring internationally renowned guest conductors and soloists. The clarity and freshness of Arion’s interpretations of Baroque and Classical works are underpinned by a discography of over thirty critically acclaimed and award-winning titles. Committed to the creation and dissemination of youth and educational projects, and a partner of renowned…

Clemens Schuldt. Courtesy of the Orchestre symphonique de Québec.

Clemens Schuldt: A Breath of Fresh Air in Quebec City

By Justin Bernard on 31 January 2025 Interviews, Orchestral, Quebec City

Since Clemens Schuldt joined Orchestre symphonique de Québec (OSQ) as music director in 2023, its spirit has changed. A certain pride has settled on the musicians, the organization, even the audiences of the provincial capital. Several factors underlie this, but the personality of the German conductor and his local commitment have certainly contributed. La Scena Musicale met him in Montreal last fall, the day after conducting the closing concert of the International Bach Festival. In a country like Germany, a young conductor is bound to be influenced by the musical geniuses of the past. Schuldt’s father is from Hamburg, the…

Julian Armour & Guylaine Lemaire: Finding Balance

By Kaitlyn Chan on 31 January 2025 Arts Industry, Classical Music, Interviews, Multimedia, Orchestral, Ottawa, Strings

This February, renowned musicians and artistic leaders Julian Armour and Guylaine Lemaire celebrate 20 years of marriage. The Ottawa-based couple have contributed significantly to the Canadian music scene for decades now as both performers and arts administrators. Amidst all this busyness, Armour and Lemaire are also the proud parents of four boys. Armour and Lemaire wear several hats in their professional lives. Armour is the artistic and executive director of Music and Beyond, artistic director of the Chamber Players of Canada, principal cellist of the chamber orchestra Thirteen Strings, and teaches at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. Retired…

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