Orchestras Canada

It’s been a busy couple of weeks since we last reported on season launches – and we’re pleased to catch up on the latest:

The Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières, under music director Jacques Lacombe, presents a nine-concert program (plus gala fundraising concert) during its 35th anniversary season. Highlights include the premiere of a new work by André Gagnon and Michel Tremblay, based on letters from Gabrielle Roy to her mother, and performed by Marie-Nicole Lemieux with the orchestra.

I Musici de Montréal released details of its first full season under the leadership of artistic director and principal conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni – 37 concerts in venues ranging from the Maison symphonique to the Salle Bourgie, featuring emerging Canadian talent, long-time artistic partners, and first-time artistic collaboration with Les Violons du Roy and the choir of the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal.

The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal has launched its 2012-13 season – its fifth under Music Director Kent Nagano – and highlights include not only large-scale projects (opening the season with Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 and closing it with Honegger’s Joan of Arc at the Stake), but also the debut of a new chamber choir (under the leadership of Andrew Megill), twelve Montreal premieres and three world premieres, including a new Haydn-inspired work by DJ Champion.

The Greater Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra has launched its 2012-13 season, a five-concert program that, consistent with the GTPO’s policy, is led by an array of guest conductors, each of whom brings a slightly different flavour to their chosen program.

The Victoria Symphony celebrates Music Director Tania Miller’s 10th season with the orchestra with a “blockbuster array of repertoire and stars”, including performances by James Ehnes and Chantal Kreviazuk, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, Bartok’s Miraculous Mandarin, and a New Music Festival featuring the music of John Cage.

Every once in a while, the media releases that flood into our inbox at Orchestra News start to form into a pattern. And so it is this week, with reminders of major concerts in Trois-Rivières and Montréal: post-romantic repertoire is alive and well in La Belle Province!

Sunday, March 18, the Orchestre Métropolitain (led by music director Yannick Nezet-Seguin) performs both the adagio from Mahler’s Symphony No. 10 and—rather remarkably–the Montréal premiere of Alexander Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony (1923) at the Maison symphonique. The latter work features soprano Angela Meade and baritone Brett Polegato.

March 17, the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières (led by its music director, Jacques Lacombe) presents a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 – a work the orchestra describes as an “expression of love for life, complete with reflections on mortality, heroism, the necessity of fighting against tyranny, and the thirst for freedom.” The concert also marks the conclusion of the OSTR’s work with thirty-four students at Shawinigan’s école Immaculée-Conception, who have been working since January with the orchestra. Each student has been twinned with an orchestra member, the class has had a number of visits from orchestra musicians and staff, and they also attended a rehearsal of the Mahler symphony in Montreal.

This weekend, l’Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières holds its 28th annual young performers competition, this year focusing on winds and percussion. The elimination round features thirteen young instrumentalists (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone and percussion), all vying for a fine array of scholarships and performing opportunities. The jury for the competition is chaired by OSTR music director Jacques Lacombe, and includes Chantal Bélisle, Paul Fortin and Jean Letarte.
For more information, please visit ostr.ca.

On Saturday, 28 January, the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières – led by Music Director Jacques Lacombe – will give the first-ever Canadian performance of Kurt Weill’s Symphony No. 1, on a program of music by Weill, Hetu, and Gershwin, featuring the singer Fabiola Toupin. Intriguingly, the program is sponsored by the Kurt Weill Foundation, and it will also include a photo-montage by Janet Lacombe.

You can learn more about the program via a short video clip hosted by Maestro Lacombe here.

The Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières has announced its 28th annual young performers competition, in 2012 devoted to winds and percussion. Applications are due February 13, and the short-listed competitors will be invited to Trois-Rivières for the finals March 9-11. There’s a distinguished panel of judges, led by OSTR music director Jacques Lacombe, and significant prizes (including the opportunity to perform with the orchestra at its May concert). For more information, please visit ostr.ca.

Congratulations to the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, which has recently announced the appointment of Fabien Gabel as its new music director. Maestro Gabel succeeds Yoav Talmi, and will begin his duties with the OSQ in the fall of 2012. A native of France, he is a regular guest conductor with a number of outstanding European orchestras, and has made an award-winning recording with the Orchestre national de France and Marie-Nicole Lemieux. As exciting as this news is for the OSQ, we were also intrigued by the decidedly “social media” approach that the OSQ took to launching the new maestro: first with a “days, hours, minutes” count-down to the announcement on a dedicated microsite, then with a truly beautiful video that introduced us to the new maestro, and finally with a short questionnaire intended to inform Maestro Gabel about his new audience, new orchestra and new community. You can find it all here.

The Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières has announced a five-year contract renewal for its busy Music Director, Jacques Lacombe. Speaking about the contract renewal, Maestro Lacombe said, “I’ve been so welcomed by my hometown orchestra, and have had such a vote of confidence from this wonderful musical family, I consider myself fortunate to continue this relationship. By sharing our talents and our energies, we have created an orchestra that we can all be proud of – and we’ve only just begun our work together!”

Every year, we get media releases about holiday concerts, and every year, we applaud the intrepid programmers who come up with fresh approaches to seasonal classics, skilfully balancing novelty with tradition.

Herewith, an idiosyncratic list of concerts and events that have caught our eye!

December 11, Symphony on the Bay presents a family Christmas, Hannukah and New Year’s concert at Burlington ON’s Royal Botanical Gardens, featuring the winners of its Young Artists’ Competition, waltzes and a sing-along. James McKay conducts.

December 9 and 10, the Orchestre symphonique de Saguenay-Lac St. Jean presents one performance each in Jonquière and Roberval, featuring star baritone Gino Quilico and rising star Marie-Pier Simard-Gagnon, along with the massed Symphony Chorus and the vocal ensemble from the Conservatoire de musique de Saguenay. Maestro Jacques Clement conducts.

December 11, the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières, led by Music Director Jacques Lacombe, presents a holiday program with pianist Andre Gagnon and the 84 members of l’Orphéon de Trois-Rivières. The program is comprised of material originally recorded for CD by Gagnon and the orchestra last year and now available on the disc Dans le silence de la nuit.

Also on December 11, the National Arts Centre Orchestra Players’ Association presents its 22nd annual Christmas FanFair Concert and Carol Sing-Along in support of the Ottawa Food Bank and the Snowsuit Fund. It’s a free concert, and it takes place in the main foyer of the National Arts Centre at 12 noon. The concert is led by NAC violist (and conductor of the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra) David Thies-Thompson, and special guests include guest conductor Laureen Harper (yes, the Laureen Harper), mezzo-soprano Julie Nesrallah, and violist Paul Casey, winner of the Harold Crabtree Foundation Award in the 2011 National Arts Centre Bursary Competition. Last year the National Arts Centre Orchestra Player’s Association donated more than $30,000 to the Ottawa Food Bank and the Snowsuit Fund through fundraising efforts over the holidays.

The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra celebrates the musical accomplishments of its own community in this year’s Messiah performances (December 16 and 17) by featuring four outstanding Edmonton natives in the solo roles: Linda Perillo, Frances Jellard, John Tessier and Nathan Berg. I Coristi Chamber Choir, Òran and the U of A Madrigal Singers unite to form the chorus, and ESO music director Bill Eddins leads from the harpsichord.

The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra has just announced the appointment of their new music director, Arthur Post – and the orchestra has launched its 50th anniversary season at the same time!  Maestro Post has been music director of the San Juan Symphony (of Colorado and New Mexico) for the last eight seasons, and has also served as Assistant and subsequently Resident Conductor with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Associate Conductor of the Israel Philharmonic and Resident Conductor of the New World Symphony.  He trained at Yale, the Juilliard School, and Tanglewood – and has been specifically cited for his “groundbreaking programming that combines the masterworks of the orchestral repertoire with music reflecting local cultures and concerns”.  Maestro Post will assume his duties with the TBSO in the fall of 2010.

While we’re still in Thunder Bay, we’ll convey hearty congratulations to TBSO General Manager Leanne Atkinson and her husband Johnnie, who have just welcomed 9 pound, 14 oz. baby boy Nolan to the world!  Ms Atkinson will be on parental leave until mid-February 2011; Clint Kuschak is serving as Interim General Manager during her leave.

Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra of Ottawa has just announced the appointment of Kevin Mallon as its new Artistic Director, beginning with the 2010-11 season. Mr. Mallon is founder and Music Director of the Toronto-based Aradia Ensemble, and is also Music Director of the Toronto Chamber Orchestra. Each group has a recording contract with Naxos, and under Mr. Mallon’s direction, they have made more than 50 recordings for the label. Commenting on his new appointment, Mr. Mallon said “I am delighted to have been chosen to be the next Music Director of The Thirteen Strings! Our work together in January was rewarding. We all had a terrific time working together – the glove fit!”  For more information about Thirteen Strings, you can visit their website here.

Lucie Paquin, head of media relations at the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal for the past three years, has recently left the post for a communications role at the Muséums Nature de Montréal. During the transition period, OSM programme editor and coordinator Caroline Louis will be filling the role.

The National Arts Centre Orchestra has just appointed violinist Jessica Linnebach as its Associate Concertmaster, following a successful audition. Ms Linnebach, 27, has been a valued member of the NAC Orchestra family for two decades. She first performed as a soloist with the Orchestra in 1990 at the age of seven, joined the Orchestra on a tour of Europe and the Middle East a decade later, and participated in the NAC’s Young Artist Program (YAP) in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Ms Linnebach then joined the Orchestra as a full-time member in the 2002-2003 season. A passionate chamber musician, Jessica is a founding member of the Zukerman ChamberPlayers, a string quintet led by Pinchas Zukerman that was formed in 2003.

Immediately following the national launch of Culture Days, the Ontario Arts Council announced the appointment of Aubrey Reeves as Ontario’s Culture Days Animator/Coordinator for the next six months. Aubrey will be a resource for Ontario artists and arts organizations interested in participating in culture days. Aubrey will work in partnership with the Ontario Culture Days Task Force and the national steering committee. She will: Provide organizing advice to potential presenters on how to develop a free, participatory activity for Culture Days or incorporate an existing arts activity on that weekend; Connect groups or artists in the same community that wish to share spaces or other resources for their Culture Day activity; Work with the national steering committee to develop tips and tools for successful events; Facilitate communication and networking between Ontario Culture Days participants; Support alliances between artists and municipalities. She can be reached by email at on@culturedays.ca or by phone at Toll-free 1-800-387-0058 ext. 5077, or 647-258-5077 in Toronto.

Congratulations to Jacques Lacombe, music director of the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivieres, for his critically acclaimed debut in the role of Music Director of the New Jersey Symphony. You can read the New York Times review of the performance here.

The Ontario Arts Council has also announced the appointment of artist, educator, producer and arts administrator Aengus Finnan as Touring and Audience Development Officer. In his new role, Aengus will work to reinforce OAC’s ongoing commitment to touring, presenting and audience development for the arts. “We consider the issue of building audiences the biggest challenge facing artists and arts organizations today,” said John Brotman, Executive Director. “With his 15-year experience as an established artist and at the helm of a successful music festival, we know that Aengus will bring leadership to this area.”

The Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières is now accepting applications for its 26th annual music competition, this year devoted to string instruments (violin, viola, cello and bass).  The application deadline is March 1, and the competition will take place over two weekends, April 9-11 (preliminary rounds) and April 17 (when the three finalists perform their concerto on a subscription series concert with the orchestra) in Trois-Rivières.

The jury is chaired by Maestro Jacques Lacombe (artistic director of the OSTR), and will include Marie-Josée Arpin (concertmaster of the OSTR), Chantal Bélisle (producer, Espace musique) and Alex Benjamin (artistic director, Festival de Lanaudière).   And the winners will divide up over $10,000 in prizes and scholarship.  For more information, please contact the OSTR at 819 373-5340, or visit their website here.

Earlier this week, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of  Jacques Lacombe as its new Music Director.  Maestro Lacombe, music director of the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières since 2006 (and associated for a number of seasons previous with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal), will serve as the NJSO’s Music Director designate for the 2010-11 season.  He will then take up a three year appointment as music director with the orchestra – duties he will combine with his continued work in Trois-Rivières .

In a published statement, the board chair of the OSTR, M. Jean-Marc Vanasse congratulated Maestro Lacombe and the NJSO, noting that “we are proud to share his immense talent with an orchestra of the NJSO’s stature, with no doubt that he will rise to the challenge with brio – and a trifluvian flair!” 

For the complete story, you can visit the OSTR’s website here.

To read the New York Times’ coverage of the appointment, click here.