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Montreal, March 15, 2021 – From March 30 to April 13, the Orchestre classique de Montréal will present an eclectic concert marking the changing of the seasons, while continuing its “Musical Tour of the World” with works from Italy, Argentina and Canada’s First Nations.
The concert will begin with an Italian delicacy, Vivaldi’s Concerto Grosso in D minor, op. 3, no. 11, under the baton of Xavier Brossard-Ménard, the OCM’s current assistant conductor. Maestro Boris Brott will then take to the podium to lead two songs by Indigenous Canadian composers: Barbara Croall’s Zasakwaa (There is a Heavy Frost) for mezzo-soprano and solo flute, and Tomson Highway’s Some Say a Rose, arranged by François Vallières. Both pieces will feature the sumptuous voice of internationally renowned Quebec mezzo-soprano, Julie Boulianne.
The heart of the concert will be a celebration of Astor Piazzolla’s 100th birthday, as the MCO presents the composer’s renowned Cuatro estaciones porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires) featuring talented violinist and OCM concertmaster Marc Djokic. To round out the season-themed evening, the OCM will perform La primavera (Spring), the first movement of Vivaldi’s beloved Concerto No. 1 in E major, op. 8, RV 269, better known as The Four Seasons.
The concert will be livestreamed on Tuesday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m. from the Pierre-Mercure Hall and will be available for on-demand viewing until April 13.
OCM is committed to presenting the music of Indigenous composers each year. This season features music by Barbara Croall and Tomson Highway. Croall, a composer from the Odawa First Nation, has had her works performed by leading orchestras around the world. In 2018, the OCM presented a multimedia work by Croall based on the life of St. Kateri Tekakwitha to audiences in Montreal and Kahnawake, funded by a “New Chapter” grant from the Canada Council for the Arts.
A Cree playwright, novelist, composer and pianist, Tomson Highway is one of Canada’s most renowned Indigenous writers. He is the recipient of numerous literary awards, a member of the Order of Canada, and holds several honorary doctorates.
Halifax-born violinist Marc Djokic is the winner of the 2017-2018 Goyer Prize and former Canada Council Instrument Bank recipient. He first studied with his father, Philippe Djokic, one of Canada’s great soloists and a pupil of the violin master Ivan Galamian. He continued his studies with David Russell, Donald Weilerstein and Jaime Laredo.
Originally from Dolbeau-Mistassini, Julie Boulianne is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music in New York and the Schulich School of Music at McGill University. She took home first prize at the Canadian Music Competition and the Joy of Singing Competition in New York. In 2007, she was awarded the Prix de la Chambre des Directeurs for Most Promising Career at the Concours musical international de Montréal. Her career has taken her to most of the major opera stages of the world, including the Metropolitan Opera.
Canadian-Israeli flutist Naama Neuman is a distinguished chamber musician and orchestra player who has performed with orchestras and chamber ensembles in Israel, Canada and Germany. Naama holds a Master of Music degree from the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart, Germany, and an Artist Diploma from the Schulich School of Music at McGill University. She specializes in contemporary music.
The Four Seasons
Tuesday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m. (available for online viewing until April 13)
Orchestre classique de Montréal
- Julie Boulianne, mezzo-soprano
- Naama Neuman, flute
- Marc Djokic, violin
- Boris Brott, conductor
- Xavier Brossard-Ménard, guest conductor
Program
- Concerto Grosso in D minor, op. 3, no. 11 – A. Vivaldi
- Zasakwaa – song by Barbara Croall, with flutist Naama Neuman and mezzo-soprano Julie Boulianne
- Some Say a Rose from The (Post) Mistress – song by Tomson Highway, arranged by François Vallières, with Julie Boulianne
- La Primavera “Spring” Concerto No. 1 in E major, op. 8, RV 269, from The Four Seasons – A. Vivaldi, with violinist Marc Djokic
- The Four Seasons – A. Piazzolla, with Marc Djokic
Tickets: $15-20 | Online at orchestra.ca
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