The Orchestre symphonique de Quebec held its annual general meeting of members on September 25 – and the OSQ had good news to share. 
 
Buoyed by successful fundraising events and strong attendance, the OSQ recorded its second consecutive operating surplus in 2008-09, and eliminated almost $250,000 from its accumulated deficit.  The deficit is now 50% of what it was at the end of the 2006-07 season. Pierre Moreau, chair of the board of the OSQ, noted the key role that both staff and board had played in achieving these exceptional results. 
 
Artistic highlights for the season were also emphasized, and they included

• a performance of Carmina Burana and the 1812 Overture on the Plains of Abraham for an audience of 60,000 people during Quebec’s 400th Anniversary celebrations;
• the recognition conferred by the winning of a series of awards, including the Ville de Quebec award and the Prix Opus for “concert of the year” for the OSQ’s presentation of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 in March 2008;
• the release of well-received two recordings, Bach Metamorphoses (led by Maestro Yoav Talmi) and the Grand-messe by Gilles Vigneault (led by former resident conductor Richard Lee). 

Through live performance, broadcast and webcast, the orchestra reached some 400,000 people during the season – an amazing record!  For more information on the OSQ, you can visit their website here.