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Montréal, Tuesday, May 9, 2023 – The Orchestre classique de Montréal (OCM) is pleased and proud to present its 84th season, under the theme of A New Beginning, as it welcomes its new Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, Jacques Lacombe, CM, CQ.
“Taking up the baton as a new Artistic Director always generates a considerable amount of excitement and anticipation,” says Maestro Lacombe. “For me, these feelings are now accompanied by a profound appreciation for the major cultural and artistic legacy I have been charged with, and it is therefore with gratitude and humility that I begin this new mandate. I am committed to continuing the work of my two illustrious predecessors, guided by the same principles that underpinned their success: artistic excellence, innovation and originality, not to mention the relevance and impact that our orchestra continues to have in our community.”
The OCM’s 84th season is inspired by these three overarching principles. Our distinguished guest artists and talented OCM musicians will present a varied selection of works, all veritable pearls of artistic excellence. This innovative and original season will introduce audiences to Astor Piazzolla’s poignant María de Buenos Aires, rarely performed in Canada, as well as Nicolai Kapustin’s breathtaking Piano Concerto No. 4 and works by two of Italy’s greatest film composers, Nino Rota and Ennio Morricone.
Canadian composers will also take centre stage with two new works, one by Joanna Storoschuk and another by Matthew Ricketts, as well as the North American premiere of a piece by Louis Babin and works by Alexander Brott and Clermont Pépin.
In addition to these little-known musical gems, audiences will enjoy some of the most famous masterpieces in the orchestral repertoire, including Mozart’s Requiem and Handel’s Messiah. This is a season that will appeal to a wide range of tastes!
PROGRAM
ACROSS THE AMERICAS WITH MARC DJOKIC: September 21, 2023 (Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours chapel)
The spotlight will be on OCM’s Concertmaster, Marc Djokic in this concert of chamber music by John Corigliano and Philip Glass (USA), Christos Hatzis (Canada) and Astor Piazzolla (Argentina), some of the biggest musical figures of the Americas from this century and the last. Enhanced by the wonderful acoustics of the historic Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, the concert will also feature pianist Julien LeBlanc and the OCM string quartet.
SLAVA UKRAÏNI: October 17, 2023 (Salle Pierre-Mercure)
The rich musical heritage of Ukraine will be featured in the first concert led by Jacques Lacombe as the OCM’s new Artistic Director. This inspiring program will span 200 years of classical works by Ukrainian composers, as well as a world premiere by Ukrainian-Canadian composer Joanna Storoschuk. The soloists will include renowned pianist Serhiy Salov and a quartet of Ukrainian-Canadian singers comprised of Anna Pompeieva, Martina Myskohlid, Yuri Konevych and Ihor Mostovoi. Finally, choral conductor Xavier Brossard-Ménard will lead Les Rugissants in a performance of transcendent Ukrainian choral works.
MARÍA DE BUENOS AIRES: November 23, 2023 (Salle Pierre-Mercure)
A passion for music, a passion for tango: the ghost of María looms over this dramatic orchestral version of the eponymous tango operita, a surrealist work for three singers, performed in Spanish with English and French surtitles. Piazzolla’s operatic tribute to the Buenos Aires underworld, the birthplace of tango, will feature the expressive and emotionally charged voice of celebrated mezzo-soprano Julie Nesrallah and the suave baritone voice of Clarence Frazer.
HANDEL’S MESSIAH: December 13 and 14, 2023 (Crypt of Saint Joseph’s Oratory)
For this much-loved holiday tradition, the OCM will perform Handel’s most famous oratorio in the superb acoustics of the crypt of Saint Joseph’s Oratory. Under the direction of Maestro Lacombe, a magnificent quartet of renowned soloists (Sydney Baedke, Lauren Segal, Angelo Moretti and Gregory Dahl) and the Montréal choirs Les filles de l’île and Les chantres musiciens will join the OCM to light up the holiday season!
PHOENIX: February 27, 2024 (Salle Pierre-Mercure)
The OCM welcomes back Mohawk violinist Tara-Louise Montour for the North American premiere of Phoenix, a concerto by Montréal composer Louis Babin that exudes strength and optimism. Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) by Schoenberg will take the audience on an emotional musical journey. Based on Canadian folklore, Quebec composer Clermont Pépin’s ballet L’Oiseau Phénix tells the story of a devoted son who is rewarded for his loyalty with a magical transformation. Finally, one of Janáček‘s early string compositions will round out the program as a tribute to the enduring essence of beauty.
MUSICA DA CINEMA: MORRICONE & ROTA: March 14, 2024 (Salle Pierre-Mercure)
Part of the International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA), this evening of powerful and moving music will feature the works of renowned Italian film composers Nino Rota and Ennio Morricone. The program will also include selections of their concert works, including Rota’s Trombone Concerto performed by Italian trombonist Giuliano Rizzotto.
BETWEEN HEAVEN & HELL: April 11, 2024 (Salle Pierre-Mercure)
Guest conductor Jean-Claude Picard will guide the audience through a Dantesque journey of sacred and secular repertoire. First, two well-known arias from J.S. Bach’s religious works will open a gateway to the kingdom of heaven. Still in the celestial realm, one of Alexander Brott’s Three Astral Visions will transform the raw energy of the cosmos into music. In contrast, Boccherini’s La casa del diavolo (House of the Devil) will depict the tragicomic story of Don Juan, including the legendary character’s infernal retribution. Canadian composer Matthew Ricketts’s lyrical style will be on full display in the world premiere of Contrition, a concerto for oboe and countertenor featuring OSM oboist Vincent Boilard and internationally renowned British countertenor Tim Mead. Finally, an oboe concerto by Mozart, once believed to be lost, will end the evening on a note of humour and pathos.
MOZART’S REQUIEM: May 5, 2024 (Maison symphonique)
Mozart’s Requiem is one of the most popular masterpieces of the classical repertoire. The program will also include Richard Danielpour‘s Lacrimae Beati, itself inspired by the Lacrimosa from Mozart’s Requiem, and the Symphonie Concertante No. 2 by Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, who was a contemporary of Mozart. This concert, a benefit event for the Petits-Chanteurs du Mont-Royal, will feature a vocal quartet of current and former members of the Atelier lyrique of the Opéra de Montréal.
A LIFE IN OPERA: TRIBUTE TO JOSEPH ROULEAU: June 18, 2024 (Maison symphonique)
To commemorate the fifth anniversary of the death of internationally renowned opera singer Joseph Rouleau, this concert will offer a selection of excerpts from the most celebrated operas by Mozart, Verdi, Bizet, Delibes and Offenbach. The OCM, in full symphonic formation, will welcome soloists Aline Kutan (soprano), Mireille Lebel (mezzo-soprano), Éric Laporte (tenor), and Philippe Sly (bass-baritone).
For complete details on the season, please visit orchestra.ca/season-23-24
About the OCM
The Orchestre Classique de Montréal (OCM) was founded in 1939 by violinist, conductor, and composer Alexander Brott and cellist and manager Lotte Brott. Previously named the McGill Chamber Orchestra, the OCM quickly became one of Canada’s most established chamber orchestras, touring five continents, recording extensively, and appearing regularly on radio and television. Boris Brott, OC, OQ, the elder son of Alexander and one of Canada’s most internationally renowned conductors, led the OCM from 2000 until his death in April 2022. In July 2023, Maestro Jacques Lacombe, C.M., C.Q. will become the orchestra’s third Artistic Director and Principal Conductor. The OCM is a vibrant, innovative, and flexible ensemble consisting of the city’s best professional musicians now in residence at the Salle Pierre-Mercure. Fulfilling its mission of celebrating diversity and inclusivity, the OCM has created the program Music for Everyone which enables collaborations with numerous new immigrant communities and Montreal organizations in making OCM’s performances accessible to all. The OCM proudly acknowledges BMO Financial Group as its Season Presenter.
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