This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
The SMCQ unveils its programming
for the 9th edition of the Montreal/New Music festival
Montreal, November 9th, 2018 – The Société de musique contemporaine du Québec unveils today the programming of the next edition of the Montreal/New Music (MNM) festival, from February 21st to March 2nd 2019. If any surprises are to come, the key events of this large international biennial gathering are already available at www.festivalmnm.ca.
This program leaves one to discover the nature that the artistic director, Walter Boudreau, gives to the theme of Wide Open Spaces: “MNM 2019 leads one to travel across the large geographical spaces as much as across the large acoustical spaces. The theme was also the occasion to encourage particularly interesting encounters between artists from here and abroad. We want to bring down barriers and borders, take advantage of the festival to open up spaces !”
MNM welcomes the major new production of the Nouvel Opéra on the theme of migrations, uniting soprano Suzie LeBlanc and composer Jérôme Blais around the texts of Acadian artists (Mouvances). And it offers the project Mosaïque of the Toronto quartet, Made in Canada, that brings together 14 world premieres by Canadian composers inspired by the provinces and territories of the country. Place is given to the vast northern spaces by the presentation of Inuit Songs II by Gordon Williamson, arising from a close collaboration between the Canadian composer living in Germany and the native community.
The Large Technological Spaces
The new technologies, with their capacity for the sound spatialization, have a special place in this festival. A three-step journey is offered at the SAT (Société des arts technologiques) to discover the uncommon spaces of the artists Patrick Saint-Denis, Chantal Laplante and Roxanne Turcotte (D’un espace à l’autre). The festival is also associated with Matralab of Concordia University to present an ambulatory sound and lights work by Sandeep Bhagwati with five musicians and artificial intelligence (Éphémérides). An operatic show with video and electronics by Michel Gonneville, on a libretto by Alain Fournier in a scenography and videography by Mario Côté, is also featured (L’hypothèse Caïn).
Mention should also be made of the French ensemble Ars Nova in a music/dance project featuring immersive metal plates of Jean-François Laporte with the dancer and choreographer Benjamin Bertrand (Inside Your Bones), and of the German ensemble Musikfabrik in a creation by Quebec composer Simon Martin for alto, violoncello, bass and electronic sound (presented with Projections libérantes). The string quartet Friction Quartet, of San Francisco, makes the Voix invisibles resonate with the very mysterious Theremin, an electronic instrument of which we celebrate its 100th year this year, in a collaboration with Quebec composer Simon Bertrand.
The Large Acoustical Spaces
The acoustical space of Saint Joseph’s Oratory is enlivened by 150 guitars of Instruments of Happiness, in the monumental project Bach, Beatles, Brady coproduced by Bradyworks and the Oratory. The unique space of Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church is also put to good use with the opening concert HoMa of the SMCQ Ensemble for woodwinds, trumpet-sax, brass, percussions and large organ, mainly around the great work of composer Michel Gonneville. The OSM and Kent Nagano join the MNM to make the Maison Symphonique de Montréal ring and resonate, by presenting one of the most audacious works of Claude Vivier, Siddhartha, for large orchestra arranged in eight « spatialized » groups.
The public is invited to purchase their tickets to take advantage of a 30% discount applicable to almost all concerts (discount on presales, available until January 1st, 2019).
A word about the SMCQ
At the heart of musical creation for more than 50 years, the SMCQ dedicates itself to the fulfillment of the composers’ work. Through the years, it has established itself on the cultural landscape by the quality and scope of its concerts and activities, which set themselves apart by their unifying quality. To stay informed on all SMCQ projects, sign up for its news bulletin: http://www.smcq.qc.ca/smcq/en/apropos/liste/.
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
