Orchestras Canada

The Regina Symphony Orchestra, in partnership with the the Music Department at the University of Regina, will present its first-ever Living Music Under Living Skies – a festival of new Canadian music and 20th century masterworks – March 21-24. The festival, co-founded by Pauline Minevich and Alain Perron, is directed by Dr. Minevich.

The festival program will include performances by artists and groups including the RSO’s Chamber Players; award winning Brandon pianist Megumi Masaki; Montreal’s Trio Fibonacci; Regina-based audio and new media collective Holophon; Dr. Sophie Bouffard, soprano; University of Regina’s music students; and Composer in Residence Denis Gougeon, funded by the SOCAN Foundation.

For more information, please visit reginasymphony.com.

Last Sunday evening, the Conseil Quebecois de la Musique (CQM) celebrated both the 25th anniversary of its founding and the excellence of the musical community it supports, at the 15th annual Prix Opus Gala. We salute the following friends and members of Orchestras Canada, whose exceptional accomplishments were recognized:

Hommage prize: cellist and conductor Yuli Turovsky, founder and 30-year leader of I Musici de Montreal.
Concert of the year, Montreal: Shostakovich’s four last quartets, Quatuor Molinari
Concert of the year, modern/contemporary: Homage to Xenakis, Nouvel Ensemble Moderne
New work of the year: Mutation, by Denis Gougeon (Nouvel Ensemble Moderne)
Concert of the Year, young audiences: On n’est jamais trop classique, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal
Recording of the year, romantic/post-romantic/impressionist: La tragédie de Salomé, F. Schmitt, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Orchestre Métropolitain, ATMA Classique
Artistic Director of the year: Jean-François Rivest, Orford Arts Centre
Event of the year: Festival de Lanaudière, summer 2011

On March 3 and 4, the Orchestre symphonique de Quebec will give the world premiere performance of Phénix by composer Denis Gougeon, newly named as artistic advisor to the OSQ.  But that’s not all:  the program will also include a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, reuniting the OSQ with the most outstanding music students at the Faculté de Musique at the Université Laval and from the Conservatoire de musique de Québec.

Both concerts will be led by OSQ music director Yoav Talmi.  For more information, please visit here.