Interviews - my/maSCENA

Jordi Savall: In Search of New Repertoire

By Justin Bernard on 1 October 2022 Baroque and Early, Interviews

Jordi Savall returns to Canada this fall. Following his North American tour with Concert des Nations last February, which brought him to Ottawa, the famous Catalan gambist is back on the road, this time with Hespèrion XXI. For this new tour, titled The Golden Age of Consort Music, Savall has called upon Hespèrion XXI , the ensemble of viols and theorbo with whom he has prepared a chamber music repertoire from the Renaissance and baroque periods. John Dowland (1563-1626) is one among many composers on the program, known primarily for his songs on the themes of love and pain.…

Philippe Jaroussky & Marie-Nicole Lemieux: Good friends find themselves with Les Violons du Roy

By Justin Bernard on 2 September 2022 Baroque and Early, Interviews, Opera

Thanks to their international reputation, Les Violons du Roy have attracted, over the years, the world’s foremost soloists and the most memorable of collaborations spanning all sorts of repertoires, notably in baroque music. The 2022-2023 season is no exception. For their Sept. 22 opening concert in Quebec City, and their Sept. 24 concert in Montreal, the chamber orchestra welcomes none other than Philippe Jaroussky and his longtime friend, contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux. We no longer need to formally introduce the French countertenor, since his 25-year-long career and his 30 recordings speak for themselves. He was in his 20s when harpsichordist Luc…

Etienne Dupuis & Nicole Car: Return to the Opéra de Montréal

By Justin Bernard on 2 September 2022 Interviews, Opera

The last time we saw Etienne Dupuis and Nicole Car together at Opéra de Montréal was at a production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin in 2019. In September, Dupuis and Car, who form a couple on stage as they do in the city, will find themselves at Wilfrid-Pelletier Hall at Place Des Arts, this time in Verdi’s Il trovatore alongside contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux and tenor Luc Robert. Verdian roles The two artists have different relationships to Il trovatore. Car remembers starting by singing the two main Leonora arias when she was 21 or 22. “The role is really perfect for my…

Geneviève Leclair

Orchestre classique de Montréal: Remembering Boris Brott

By Justin Bernard on 2 September 2022 Classical Music, Interviews, Orchestral

Executive Director Taras Kulish and Boris Brott had been planning OCM’s (Orchestre classique de Montréal) 2022–2023 since before Boris’s tragic death in Hamilton, Ont., this past spring. OCM has called on two guest conductors to continue Boris’s legacy and pay tribute to him. These conductors were among Boris’s friends. Leclair conducts opening concert The opening concert conducted by Geneviève Leclair will tell the story of Boris Brott’s musical life. Consequently, the Oct. 18 concert has been changed to include works that had a direct or indirect connection to his long conducting career. For instance, Geneviève remembered Boris studying with Igor…

La Scena Tête-à-tête: Michael Spyres

By La Scena Musicale Team on 2 August 2022 Arts Industry, Baroque and Early, Classical Music, Contemporary, Interviews

In this Tête à tête segment, Don Adriano interviews Michael Spyres for La Scena Musicale during his passage through Montreal to sing at the Lanaudière festival in July 2022! On Youtube: Interview with Michael Spyres: During the interview, Adriano and Spyres discuss Rossini, operatic traditions, voice technique, the Baritenor voice and much more. The following is a sample of their discussion. How to sing like an opera performer As an internationally renowned baritenor opera singer, Michael Spyres has a lot to say on the topic of operatic singing. According to him, the body is not comfortable with operatic singing until…

The crowd of protestors in front of the Strathcona Music Building at the Conservatory's June 28 protest

Video Interview | Teachers, Students Protest Closure of McGill Conservatory of Music

By Zenith Wolfe on 29 June 2022 Arts Industry, Classical Music, Interviews

The McGill Conservatory of Music has been offering music education to Montreal community members of all ages since 1904. Following the announcement that the institution would be closing after summer 2022, McGill faculty protested outside the Strathcona Music Building on June 28. See below for an exclusive video interview with protestors: Conservatory of Music instructor Cristina Hauser had more to say after the protest: One aspect should not be forgotten or underestimated: it is NOT ONLY about the music education enriching the life of these people, children and adults coming to our Conservatory Program. Studies have shown the huge impact…

Newswire | Music and Beyond Returns!

By Newswire on 29 June 2022 Classical Music, Interviews, Newswire

June 29, 2022 – Music and Beyond returns from July 4 – 17, 2022! We look forward to welcoming you again to Music and Beyond! In an effort to ensure a safe and enjoyable festival experience for everyone, please consider the following: We ask you to please purchase your tickets in advance at www.musicandbeyond.ca.Tickets are limited! Although not required, we strongly encourage masking in indoor settings. All efforts will be taken to maintain distancing. During the Festival, tickets will be available for sale in-person at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday. Please note, 51…

Simone McIntosh

Interviews with CMIM 2022 Laureates Simone McIntosh, Meredith Wohlgemuth and Other Competitors

By Shirley Wu on 15 June 2022 Art Song, Classical Music, Interviews, Music Competition, Vocal

La Scena Musicale presents a series of interviews with the laureates, competitors, and the Jury President of the 2022 Concours musical international de Montreal (CMIM). Interviews conducted by Shirley Wu, filmed by Norman Woo of MCCRTV. Simone McIntosh, Aria First Prize Winner About Simone McIntosh (from her CMIM profile): Canadian mezzo-soprano Simone McIntosh takes full advantage of her place in the opera world. She is at home in pants roles like Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro and Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, in addition to roles such as Dorabella in Così fan tutte and the title role of La…

Interview | Linda Bouchard – Brasier, SMCQ Concert-Portrait

By Alexandre Amat on 26 April 2022 Interviews

On Sunday, May 1st at Salle Pierre Mercure, the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec will conclude its series of Portraits with Brasier, a concert dedicated to the music of Linda Bouchard. The five pieces on the programme will allow the audience to discover the powerful and colourful musical universe of this Quebec composer with an atypical career, based in Montreal, San Francisco and New York. Linda Bouchard’s musical universe is deeply influenced by her many travels. After a short stay in Paris, in 1979 she lived in New York for more than ten years. There she discovered a vibrant…

Photo: Bo Huang

Adrianne Pieczonka: The soprano and CMIM jurist is ‘very pro-competition’

By Gianmarco Segato on 11 April 2022 Interviews, Music Competition

The 2022 vocal edition of the Concours musical international de Montréal has assembled a distinguished international jury drawn from the crème de la crème of top name singers, administrators and voice teachers. The panel will be chaired by Zarin Mehta, former Managing Director of Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. The other jury members are British baritone Sir Thomas Allen, former Chair of the Juillliard Voice Department Edith Bers, German bass-baritone Robert Holl, German collaborative pianist Hartmut Höll, Artistic Director of the Festival de Lanaudière Renaud Loranger, former Metropolitan Opera Artistic Administrator Richard Rodzinski and German soprano Christine Schäfer. But the jurist…

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