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Francais (French)
Montreal, July 19, 2018 – André Pappathomas, well-known composer, choir director, and interdisciplinary artist, is launching an ambitious new project : La voix, espace public. Works of visual and sound art, concerts and public lectures dedicated to exploring and celebrating the human voice will be presented from August 30 to September 23, 2018.
For the first time in the history of the Maison de la culture du Plateau-Mont-Royal, both the gallery and concert spaces will be occupied by the same artist. “Visitors will have the opportunity to engage with and reflect on the unique communicative and expressive capacities of the human voice, be it spoken or sung – its interpretive resonance in the performance of poetry, its sacred character in choral singing, its vibrant contributions to contemporary art”, explains Pappathomas, artistic director and principal creator of the event.
The project will launch on August 30th with a vernissage for the gallery exhibition, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The exhibition presents a group of works which in various ways represent or dialogue with the human voice – an attempt by the artist to lend body and physical space to his subject: sculptures, paintings and invented instruments seem to possess voices of their own, murmuring secrets to the visitor…
The public is invited not only as a spectator, but also as a participant in the creation of a collaborative vocal work. The artist will be present from Tuesday to Thursday from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for the duration of the project, to work with and record members of the public who wish to contribute their voices to this collective creation, which will be presented on September 21st as part of the event’s final concert.
Five concerts on the programme
All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m.
- September 6th: Poèmes de détention et quelques « contres », recently presented in Paris to great acclaim, offers a musical interpretation of the poetic works of Claude Gauvreau.
- September 7th: Rachel Burman and Opéra FOE (Free Opera Ensemble) launch their album Notre Damn and present a selection of music from the disc as well as their most recent compositions.
- September 13th: Comment dire brings poetry to the stage through the voices of its authors. Featuring vocal soloists, musicians, and 10 poets published by Les Éditions du Noroît, Mémoire d’encrier, and other Quebec publishing houses.
- September 14th:Mrutismes et Mirlitonnades proposes a wild ride through a colorful vocal landscape… all at the lowest possible volume. With choir (Grand Choeur Bref), soloists and musicians.
- September 21st: La voix, espace public, the project’s closing concert, will revolve around the presentation of the collective vocal work created and recorded over the course of the event. Additionally featuring choir, soloists, musicians and, of course, some of those who lent their voices to the work.
Public lectures
The public lectures (presented in French) will explore minority and invented languages, the oral expression of poetry, the role of the voice in contemporary dance, and much more.
- September 12th, 7:30 p.m.: In Le corps, le geste et la voix, mezzo-soprano Marie-Annick Béliveau will reflect on the role of opera singer, focusing on its creative and interdisciplinary aspects.
- September 19th, 7:30 p.m.: Through his talk Les langages inventés, André Pappathomas invites you into the imagined worlds of Antonin Artaud, Kurt Schwitters, Raoul Haussman, as well as the celebrated Quebec writer Claude Gauvreau.
- Additional talks will take place on Sunday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. Programme to be determined.
For further details: accesculture.com/evenement/La_voix__espace_public
André Pappathomas
Interdisciplinary artist, composer and choir director behind the monumental project Souffles(2016), which united 10 choirs representing different nationalities residing in Montreal on the stage of the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, André Pappathomas has been exploring the potentialities of the human voice for many years. In 2017 he was a finalist for the Grand prix des arts de Montréal, and first-ever winner of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec award, “Artiste dans la communauté”.
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
