Newswire | 7th Season of Stella Musica Festival Announced

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Montreal, May 25, 2022 – Back for a 7th season, the Stella Musica Festival, under the leadership of its Artistic Director and founder Katarzyna Musiał, aims to promote the achievements of women in music. This year, the three events of the festival will take place on Friday, June 3rd at the Kin Expérience as well as on Wednesday, June 8 at the Gesù.

As in past years, this edition brings together exceptionally talented women artists, recognized both for their artistic commitment as well as their innovative creative approaches, during an intimate concert, a round table and a Grand Concert. Women’s contributions to the Montreal and Quebec music scene will be highlighted, with performances by the Fortin-Poirier Duo, mezzo-soprano Martina Myskohlid and pianist Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe, Nina Segalowitz, the Stick&Bow duo, the Li Kouri Ensemble, pianist Katarzyna Musiał as well as Fuego Flamenco Fusion.

Opening the Festival, an intimate concert followed by a round table on the theme “Access to music for refugees” will take place on Friday, June 3, at 7 p.m. The public will have the chance to hear inspiring and resilient women leaders, including Fakhria Rezaie, who fled Afghanistan from the Taliban when she was only 7 years old, as well as Ukrainian and Afghan activists.

The festival’s main event, the Grand Concert, will take place on Wednesday, June 8, at 7:30 p.m. This musical encounter not only combines various musical styles but also several artforms: among others, works by visual artist Dali Wu will be on display. Inuit artist Nina Segalowitz will perform throat singing in the purest tradition of Inuit culture. Stick&Bow, “the trailblazing Montreal duo that plays everything from Bach to Radiohead” (CBC Music’s The Intro), will sweep you off your feet with an eclectic programme featuring works ranging from Bach to Piazzolla. The Li Kouri Ensemble will showcase magnificent songs taken from their first album, Aza. Pianist Katarzyna Musiał will perform three works by Ukrainian composer Valentina Yanovna. To conclude, Fuego Flamenco Fusion will offer an outstanding programme combining flamenco and Latin American music.

Programming

Friday June 3, 2022 – 7 p.m.: Intimate Concert and round table Kin Expérience (397A, Sainte-Catherine Street West)

Intimate Concert. The Fortin-Poirier Duo has devised a program titled “Nuit Blanche”, in which the theme of the night is explored in all its variations: doubts, anguish, passion, celebration, love and dreams rub shoulders in works for piano four hands. Compositions by Ravel, Gluck, Fazil Say, “Entre la veille et le sommeil” by Maggie Ayotte (commissioned by the duo), Victor Simon, Alfonso Peduto and Shaun Choo. Canadian- Ukrainian mezzo-soprano Martina Myskohlid accompanied by pianist Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe will perform “Green Rain” by Violet Archer, “У перетику ходила (U peretyku khodyla) [Surrender your heart to me]” by Ukrainian composer Mykola Lysenko, as well as works by Mozart, Rossini and de Falla;
Round Table. Discussion on the theme “Access to music for refugees”, with panelist Fakhria Rezaie as well as activists from Ukraine and Afghanistan.

Wednesday June 8, 2022 – 7:30 p.m.: Grand Concert Théâtre Le Gesú (1200, de Bleury Street)

Inuit artist Nina Segalowitz: throat singing
Stick&Bow: avant-garde duo consisting of Krystina Marcoux (marimba) and Juan Sebastian Delgado (cello). Works by J.S. Bach, Nina Simone (“Love me or leave me”), Bartók, Tzigane (Stéphane Grappelli, arr. Marcoux/Delgado), Piazzolla and Louise Jallu (“À Gennevilliers”).
Li Kouri Ensemble: trio comprising Li Kouri (composition, accordion and voice), Isabelle Gaudreau (clarinet) and Laeticia Francoz Lévesque (violin). This first album features subtle yet hard-hitting compositions which make the listener want to come back for more.
Katarzyna Musiał (piano) performs three works by Ukrainian composer Valentina Yanovna Zhubinskaya: “Meditation,” “On a walk” and “Lullaby.”
Fuego Flamenco Fusion featuring Katarzyna Musiał (piano, dance), Hanser Santos Gómez (percussions) and Hugo Larenas (guitar) offers a one-of-a-kind programme that uniquely combines the tradition of flamenco with Latin American music. Works by Spanish, Cuban, Venezuelan and Brazilian composers, and including some elements of flamenco dance.