Mécénat Musica names Karina Gauvin inaugural Artist in Residence

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Montreal, November 17, 2020 – Karina Gauvin, Montreal soprano, is Mécénat Musica’s first collaborative Artist in Residence.

Karina Gauvin is a soprano of international renown, collaborating and vivaciously performing with the greatest symphony orchestras, opera companies and recital series around the world.

Ms. Gauvin has recorded 50+ albums and among her distinctions has three Grammy nominations. The New York Times describes Ms. Gauvin as singing “with serene ease and radianceʺ. Opera News calls her the “queen of Baroque opera”.

As collaborative Artist in Residence Ms. Gauvin will be performing with Mécénat Musica organizations and is also a donor under the Mécénat Musica program to keep culture healthy, in perpetuity, for generations to come.

Ms. Gauvin has performed with 21 grant recipients of the Mécénat Musica program: Domaine Forget, Orchestre Métropolitain, Ensemble Caprice, Jeunesses Musicales Canada, Festival Classica, Ensemble Vocal Arts-Québec, Concerts noncerto, Clavecin en concert, Orchestre Symphonique de Laval, Orchestre classique de Montréal, Orchestre Symphonique de Longueuil, Société Pro Musica, Festival international de Lanaudière, Les Violons du Roy, Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, Aramusique (Repentigny), Ladies’ Morning Musical Club, Les Boréades de Montréal, I Musici de Montréal, Montreal Chamber Music Festival and Theater of Early Music. Ms. Gauvin is also a donor in the Mécénat Musica in‐perpetuity program with Ensemble vocal Arts-Québec.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Ms. Gauvin contributed to Mécénat Musica’s outreach programs performing five outdoor concerts with Concerts noncerto as part of the Mécénat Musica Mini-Concerts Santé and Mini-Gala Santé programs, collaborating with pianists Pierre McLean, Jennifer Szeto and Meagan Milatz. Her new residency includes the loan of a Steinway Grand Piano.

As part of her residency, Ms. Gauvin’s mandate is to multiply her collaborations with Mécénat Musica organizations. Many collaborations are already in the calendar including Ensemble Caprice (Salle Bourgie), together with Ensemble Vocal Arts-Québec (Maison symphonique), Aramusique and Orchestre classique de Montréal.

Mécénat Musica is a cultural program by donors for donors. Mécénat Musica’s aim is to make a sustainable contribution to the health of all, by supporting health, music, and culture. During the pandemic, Mécénat Musica program distributed $1.5 million to 35 Quebec cultural organizations, and Mécénat Musica Mini-Concerts Santé provided $510,000 for music delivery of 4,900 free door-to-door outdoor concerts for social and mental health to 36,000 people in 648 disadvantaged streets in Québec and Ontario, bringing the total distributed by Mécénat Musica programs during the pandemic for health, music & culture to $2.0 million.

During the pandemic, Mécénat Musica has launched several health, music, and community initiatives to reduce the impact of this unparalleled crisis on the psychological, social, and mental health of communities, including Mécénat Musica: Artist in residence, Mini-Concerts Santé, Music for Hope, Mini-Galas Santé, and Prix 3 Femmes – dedicated to developing new operas by emerging women Canadian composers and librettists.