The love story of Allene Chomyn and Ian Whitman, who joined the KWS in the orchestra’s 2007-08 season, seems right out of a storybook.
David Briskin’s remarkable leadership in the world of ballet has made him a bridge builder—forging relationships and respect, wordlessly, using only music and gesture.
Rescigno brought Maria Callas to America for her 1954 debut and became one of Maria Callas’s favourite conductors, alongside Tullio Serafin and Georges Prêtre.
The kinship that unites the members of the Quatuor Despax has stood the test of time—20 years, to be exact. Dedicating itself to a wide range of musical genres over the years, the group has kept its momentum going by maintaining its ties to kin, friends and music lovers alike. For those who may not know them, they are brothers and sisters (two of each) who play the required instruments for a standard string quartet comprised of two violins, a viola and a cello. A recent meeting with them for a conversation left no doubts about the family…
In 2019, Russian-Canadian composer Airat Ichmouratov teamed up with librettist, poet and writer Bertrand Laverdure to bring to life the favourite novel of his youth: The Man Who Laughs, based on the timeless tale of legendary playwright Victor Hugo. For both men, this is their first foray into opera, and for Ichmouratov, this will be his 75th opus. Ichmouratov’s love and obsession for the novel began at the age of 16 after his brother had gifted him a copy. “I was immediately captivated by the story of love and betrayal,” said Ichmouratov. Laverdure added: “Working on an unadaptable 800-page novel…
The history of opera in Quebec begins a new chapter this year with the arrival of Nouvel Opéra Métropolitain (NOM). In its upcoming 13th edition, Festival Classica paves the way for the future by introducing a most promising and ambitious component in its program devoted to this genre, with no less than three original productions—two of which are world premières: L’Homme qui rit (2023), L’adorable Belboul (1874) and Miguela (1891). New opera, new venue The festival team and its joint artistic and managing director Marc Boucher have worked out an agreement unlike any other with the venue, the Salle Claude-Champagne.…
Any town with a decent jazz scene has at least one good diva of popular song. In Montreal few, if any, would dispute Ranee Lee’s claim to that title. For this ’vocal musician” (her term), the year now ending marks two milestones in her life—the first being her 80th birthday this past Oct. 26, the other marking her arrival in the city half a century ago for her local debut at Hotel Bonaventure. In the years since she took up residence in Montreal, the American jazz singer and musician built a career that also included acting, teaching and being a…
In this Tête à tête segment, Don Adriano interviews American baritone John Brancy for La Scena Musicale during his performance in Montreal with Opera de Montreal’s La Beauté du Monde! On YouTube: Interview with John Brancy: About John Brancy Grammy Award-winning baritone John Brancy is known for his intense musicality and communicative power. Hailed by the New York Times as “a vibrant, resonant presence,” Mr. Brancy is equally at home in staged opera, concert performance, and recital, with a wide-ranging repertoire that includes classical, contemporary world premieres, and musical theater. www.johnbrancy.com MORE Opera de Montreal’s La Beauté du Monde concludes…
Alexander Koutelias has been the Head of Development at the Orchestre classique de Montréal (OCM) since 2020, a position he obtained immediately after graduating from the MMIAM (Master of Management in International Arts Management) program, where he received a double master’s degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and HEC Montréal. La Scena Musicale spoke with him to understand his vision for philanthropy in Quebec (and the United States) and how his program of study prepared him for his current role at the OCM. LSM: Tell us a little about your early days in philanthropy. AK: I’m originally from…
Soprano Christina Haldane and pianist Carl Philippe Gionet, both with roots in Caraquet, N.B., have known each other for a long time. The former, of shared Acadian descent on her mother’s side and British on her father’s, earned most of her operatic experience in the U.K., where she spent most of her life. Then she moved back to Eastern Canada with teaching in mind and has been a staff instructor at Mount Allison University in Sackville since 2019. Gionet, for his part, is a multi-disciplinary artist who netted both his master’s and doctorate degrees at the Université de Montréal before…
