Festival de la Voix: 10 Years of Beautiful Voices and Great Musicianship

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For Kerry-Anne Kutz, artistic director and co-founder of the Festival de la Voix, the human voice, in all its diversity, has been a guiding light throughout her career. “It is the only instrument that allows us to express our feelings in both words and music,” said Kutz.

What began as Vox Aeterna in 2008, as a way to create musical projects for Kutz’s voice students, the community and local musicians, gave rise to the Festival, now celebrating its 10th anniversary. “We are presenting the most ambitious festival we have ever undertaken,” Kutz said.

“What hasn’t changed is the endeavour to present truly beautiful voices and great musicianship—and often in the same program, two or three different genres. At the Unitarian Church in N.D.G. on April 1, there will be four exceptional female singers: the Blue Dawn Quartet, singing a Yiddish piece composed by Rona Nadler. It is breathtaking.” The electrifying Imani Gospel Singers are also featured in the same concert.

First held over one weekend in 2013, with an audience of 200 and one principal artist, Ranee Lee, the festival now welcomes 2,000 people over three weekends at several venues. Lee will return again this year on April 15 in Hudson, singing and speaking about standards made famous by the great divas of jazz: Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday and more. “Ranee is not only a very fine singer but she has a tremendous knowledge of the jazz idiom. She is also a great teacher,” Kutz said.

Young audiences and emerging artists are becoming increasingly important to Kutz. “I would like to emphasize concerts for young people as much as possible. In MUSIQUEMOSAÏQUE, held at John Rennie High School (in Pointe-Claire), students will discover music from different cultures, including steel drums and music from North Africa.

“A concert I am really excited about is Nikamu Mamuitun, on April 23 in Beaconsfield. Young musicians, Indigenous and Québécois singer-songwriters, reflect their lives, sharing their songs and stories. It is very moving and beautiful. Many of the children who attend these concerts come from other cultures, and we hope to give them the sense that their people are on the stage, important and appreciated.”

There are beautiful classical concerts scheduled as well, including the Quartom male vocal quartet on April 2 in Dorval, performing music from the Renaissance to today. “The last time we had them was in 2020 and no one got to hear them live,” Kutz recalled. Chorale Opus 16 will open the concert.

Soprano Myriam Leblanc and the Ensemble Mirabilia will perform an all-Vivaldi program on April 22 in Pointe-Claire. In a free performance on April 28, Les Fusiliers de Mont-Royal, a 42-piece ensemble of the Canadian Armed Forces, will present a varied program. “These musicians are reservists of the Canadian military, and they all have degrees in music,” Kutz said. The singer will join the ensemble in performing songs by Michel Legrand.

Festival de la Voix 10th edition in Dorval, Pointe-Claire, Beaconsfield, Ste-Geneviève, Montreal and Hudson. April 1-28, 2023
www.festivaldelavoix.com