Festival Classica announces the programming of its 15th edition!

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Montréal, February 10, 2025 — Held over 24 days in the Longueuil urban agglomeration
and also in Montréal, Festival Classica has since 2011 provided top-quality programming
both in ticketed auditoria and large outdoor free concerts. Its newly minted slogan,
“Classical unlimited” perfectly defines the identity the festival has forged over the past
few years: with its many commissions of new works from Canadian composers (operas,
concertos, chamber music), its grand symphonic rock concerts, its eco-responsible policy,
its involvement in digital art, its digitalized scenery, its original programming and its
international alliances, Festival Classica embodies and represents the age we live in.

Running from May 21 to June 15, 2025, this year’s spectacular, eclectic programming
perfectly illustrates why Festival Classica has carved out an enviable place among major
classical-music events in Québec!

Premieres aplenty!

Every year, Festival Classica puts on a series of first performances, and 2025 continues this fine tradition. Here are some of the not-to-be-missed premieres.

Starmania – Symphonic Version
Wednesday May 21 at 9 p.m. – Théâtre Maisonneuve de la Place des Arts de Montréal
Saturday June 14 at 9 p.m. – Parc de la Rivière des Pins de Boucherville
A resplendent symphonic-concert version of this iconic francophone rock opera. This
purely classical reinterpretation revives the show’s most celebrated emblematic songs,
enhancing and augmenting the visionary work of its creators, the legendary
Berger/Plamondon duo. Performed by the Orchestre classique de Montréal and some of the finest voices in Québec, this reinvented Starmania attests to the show’s enduring
appeal, delivering a timeless and profoundly memorable musical experience. Extracts
from the concert will be presented at the Festival Classica benefit evening on May 21, but
the show will be performed in its entirety at an outdoor concert in Parc de la Rivière des
Pins de Boucherville on June 14.

Beatles symphonique
Friday May 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Cocathédrale Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue de Longueuil
The Fab Four’s timeless hits reimagined in stunning orchestral arrangements! The first part of this magnificent concert consists of a performance of The Great Beatles Singles Suite I and II, arranged and orchestrated by British composer Andrew Jackman. The second part is the North American premiere of Abbey Road Concerto by Berlin-based violinist Guy Braunstein. The Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières, directed by conductor Alain Trudel, will deliver a performance that blends the spirit of pop with the splendour of symphonic music.

Brahms Sonatas
Tuesday May 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Église Sainte-Famille de Boucherville
Dive into the richness and intensity of Johannes Brahms’ works for violin and piano,
performed by two internationally renowned virtuosos: Andrew Wan, violinist with the
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. Having previously explored and recorded the
complete sonatas of Beethoven and Schumann (OPUS and JUNO Awards), the duo now
delve into three of Brahms’ major works, musically situated between classicism and
romanticism.

La Fille aux cheveux de lin
Sunday June 1 at 3 p.m.
Salle Jean-Louis-Millette du Théâtre de la Ville de Longueuil
Tango Boréal Productions (The Letters of Chopin) returns to Festival Classica with a new creation: a chamber opera inspired by the melodies of Maurice Ravel and Claude
Debussy, with a libretto in French by Denis Plante. The story immerses us in the artistic
fervour of Paris at the end of the 19th century. In a modest workshop in Montmartre, Rose supports her brother, an ambitious painter trying to recreate a lost masterpiece.
Rose’s dedication is put to the test by the unexpected arrival of a mysterious girl with
ﬂaxen hair.

Keith Jarrett: The Köln Concert
Tuesday June 3 at 7 p.m.
Église Sainte-Famille de Boucherville
The Köln Concert was a legendary performance by American jazz pianist Keith Jarrett at
the Cologne Opera House on January 24, 1975. The entirely improvised composition
begins playfully, with an imitation of the five notes of the opera house’s bell that calls the
audience to take their places. The Köln Concert album, recorded by producer Manfred
Eicher and released under the ECM label, became the best-selling solo jazz album in
history and the most widely distributed solo piano album of all time. To mark the 50th
anniversary of this musical milestone, Festival Classica has commissioned François
Vallières to arrange a version for string quartet, based on the transcription published by
Schott and authorized by Jarrett. Join us on a virtuoso journey with this new work which—
like the recent reworking of another monumental keyboard composition, Bernard
Labadie’s arrangement for strings of Bach’s Goldberg Variations—reveals a landmark of
musical history in a new and surprising light.

Women on cello
Wednesday June 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Église Sainte-Famille de Boucherville
One instrument, four performers! Discover the cello in all its splendour at this concert
featuring an all-female quartet of cellists: Kateryna Bragina, Chloé Dominguez, Agnès
Langlois and Noémie Raymond. The program offers an eclectic mix of works by composers renowned and less well-known, celebrating the cello’s remarkable power and versatility while shining a spotlight on the talent of women from past to present.

Carmen
Saturday June 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Cocathédrale Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue de Longueuil
The Nouvel Opéra Métropolitain invites you to an extraordinary celebration of Québec
talent: in a Canadian premiere, the acclaimed contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux brings her
voice and magnetic presence to Bizet’s Carmen. This semi-staged concert performance
celebrates freedom and showcases the expressive power of French opera. Under the
direction of conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni, top-tier Québec opera singers—including the
incomparable Étienne Dupuis as the toreador—share the stage with Ensemble ArtChoral and a world-class orchestra. A revolutionary milestone in the history of opera, Carmen is a timeless story of consuming passion, poignant tragedy and biting wit. This legendary work continues to captivate hearts and minds with its modern sensibility.

Inland Seas
Sunday June 8 at 3 p.m.
Salle Jean-Louis-Millette du Théâtre de la Ville de Longueuil
Carried by music that is particularly close to her heart, soprano Marianne Lambert invites
us on a deeply moving musical journey, exploring motherhood and her personal journey
marked by challenges and bereavement. These moments are told by the voice of the sea,
which becomes a character in its own right, with waves and tides reﬂecting the intense
emotions of the story. This poignant account is magnified by the works of great composers such as Barber, Ravel, Debussy, Britten and Mahler. A multimedia concert in an intimate setting provides an unforgettable musical experience!

Du Céleste aux Lumières
Wednesday June 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Église Sainte-Famille de Boucherville
Immerse yourself in the world of English Baroque with a captivating program of Händel
and Purcell. From the dramatic intensity of Händel’s operas (Giulio Cesare, Alcina, Rinaldo, Semele) to the enchanting poetry of Purcell’s Fantasias and Arias, this concert explores human feelings and passions. An evening sparkling with virtuosity and emotion, featuring Sophie Naubert (soprano), Frederic Pouliot (violin), Sebastian Gonzalez Mora (viola), Agnès Langlois (cello) and Christophe Gauthier (harpsichord).

Nebulæ
Friday June 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Église de Saint-Lambert
Harpist Valérie Milot’s new show Nebulæ is an artistic and philosophical exploration of
astral phenomena, in which the harp bears witness to the evolution of humanity and its
relationship with the universe. This grandiose journey opens the door to philosophical
contemplation of existence. An intimate concert tinged with reﬂections, humour and
mesmerizing music, with stage direction by Louis-Philippe Hébert.

Other performances to watch for!

Other concerts and shows worthy of your attention:

Tribute to François Dompierre
Friday May 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Cocathédrale Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue de Longueuil
Celebrate the extraordinary career of François Dompierre, a composer who has shaped
and enriched Québec cinema and culture for over 60 years. This tribute features the
FILMharmonique Orchestra and Ensemble ArtChoral under the direction of Maestro
Francis Choinière. Experience the drama and energy of one of Dompierre’s most iconic works, Les Diableries, and the profound beauty and emotional depth of his latest
masterpiece, Requiem. A night honouring the legacy of a true Québec cultural icon!

Stradivatango
Saturday May 31 at 7:30 p.m.
Église Sainte-Famille de Boucherville
The Stradivatango project brings together two outstanding Canadian artists: Stéphane
Tétreault, recognized as a cello prodigy, and Denis Plante, a leading figure in Canadian
bandoneon music. Together they explore the world of tango with unmatched passion and
virtuosity. Their repertoire is made up of Argentine tango classics and works composed
especially for their unique duo. Alternating between intimate moments and explosive
passages, their performances capture the emotional richness of tango, from haunting
melancholy to effervescent energy. The album Stradivatango came out in January 2025
on the ATMA Classique label.

Mr. Séguin’s Goat
Sunday June 8 at 3 p.m.
Centre multifonctionnel de Saint-Lambert
Part opera and part children’s theatre, this whimsical production brings a quirky twist to
Alphonse Daudet’s classic tale, while still capturing the drama and tension of the original
text. Featuring two singers, two actors and a pianist, the performance is sure to bring
laughter, tears and a thrilling hint of fear.

For the full festival program and to buy tickets, follow this link!

About Festival Classica

Festival Classica has grown steadily since its first edition in 2011. In fifteen years it has
staged over 500 concerts attended by over 400,000 festival-goers! It has hired some 550 singers and musicians, 2000 orchestral musicians, 300 painters, 3000 chorists and 4000 up-and-coming artists. Recently, Festival Classica created the Nouvel Opéra
Métropolitain (NOM), its new operatic division devoted mainly to the French opera and
operetta repertoire. With the NOM, Festival Classica is aiming to contribute to a
renaissance of opera and to highlight Québec opera artists. The NOM’s innovative,
modern performances provide a true immersive experience thanks to the use of digital
works. Through productions created here and restaged abroad, Festival Classica’s
inﬂuence is spreading to Canada, the United States, Europe and even as far as Australia.
In a few short years its street festival, held on Montréal’s south shore, has become a major classical-music event, extending to the various towns of the Longueuil urban
agglomeration and greater Montréal. It offers numerous concerts at affordable prices to
make classical music more accessible to the general public. Last year, Festival Classica put on 21 concerts in Longueuil, Boucherville, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Saint-Lambert, Saint-Hubert and Brossard. Since 2011, the baritone Marc Boucher been Festival Classica’s general and artistic director.