Orchestras Canada

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 coming weekend, at a performance by the Orchestre Metropolitain, Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin will be presented with Prix Denise-Pelletier by Mme Christine St-Pierre, Quebec Minister of Culture, Communications and the Status of Women. The award is one of twelve Prix du Québec, and specifically honours outstanding artistic achievement. Previous winners of the award include such icons as Félix Leclerc (1977), Gilles Vigneault (1983), Joseph Rouleau (1990), Jean-Pierre Ronfard (1999) and Robert Lepage (2003).

Hearty congratulations to the winners of the 2012 Knigge Piano Competition, held at the UBC School of Music. First Prize went to Rudin Lengo (a student at the Glenn Gould School); second prize went to Jocelyn Lai, (studying at UBC); and third prize went to Shifra Day, (a student at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal). The prize for the best performance of the required work (Echoes by UBC alumnus Richard Covey) went to Isabelle David (from the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal). Distinguished juror John O’Conor had this to say about the standard of competition: “It was a great pleasure to be on the jury of the Knigge Competition. It was a feast of piano playing from eight very talented young pianists and I wish them all great satisfaction for the future. They all deserve to do very well.”

We recently learned, with sadness, of the recent passing of Dr. Larry Agranove, a London Ontario business leader, consultant and long-time instructor at the School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University. A life-long lover of the arts, Dr. Agranove was the founding president of the Ontario Federation of Symphony Orchestras, and president of the London Symphony (later re-named Orchestra London).

Last week, the National Arts Centre Orchestra live-streamed its 2012-13 season launch – and by all accounts, it was a stellar affair. The season marks Pinchas Zukerman’s 14th as music director – and it’s action packed! Highlights include a Beethoven festival, a tour of northern Canada, two world premieres by Peter Paul Koprowski and Ana Sokolovic, an all-Strauss program, presented in partnership with Montreal’s L’Orchestre Métropolitain (and led by that orchestra’s popular Maestro, Yannick Nézet-Séguin), chamber concerts, children’s concerts, pops performances, solo recitals, and a pair of guest orchestras: Les Violons du Roy and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. For more information, please visit nac-cna.ca.

Early last week, the nominations for this year’s Juno Awards (to be presented in Ottawa, March 26-31) were announced. We were delighted to see so many Canadian orchestras – along with the soloists and composers who enliven their seasons – honoured in the assorted classical categories.

Our particular congratulations to the following nominees:

Classical Album of the Year: Large Ensemble or Soloist(s) with Large Ensemble Accompaniment:

Alexandre Da Costa/Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal Acacia Classics*Universal
Daugherty : Fire and Blood
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Orchestre Métropolitain ATMA*Naxos
Bruckner 4
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Orchestre Métropolitain ATMA*Naxos
Florent Schmidt- La tragédie de salomé

Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance:

Marie-Josée Lord; Orchestre Métropolitain; Giuseppe Pietraroia ATMA*Naxos
Marie-Josée Lord
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra & Daniel Taylor Analekta*Select
J.S. Bach: Cantatas 70 & 154; Concerto 1060; Orchestral Suite No. 2

Classical Composition of the Year:

Jeffrey Ryan Naxos
Equilateral (recorded by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Bramwell Tovey)

For a complete list of nominations, please visit junoawards.ca.

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 October 24, ADISQ (the association for music and sound recording in Quebec) will hold its “other gala” – an event to honour the outstanding non-commercial recordings and performers of the year. A number of Orchestras Canada members have been nominated for the classical music awards, and we’re proud to list them here:

In the “classical recording of the year – orchestra or large ensemble”, featured nominations include recordings by Les Violons du Roy (Bonbons on ATMA Classique, led by Bernard Labadie), Orchestre metropolitain (Florent Schmitt : La Tragédie de Salomé, César Franck : Symphonie en ré, on ATMA Classique, led by Yannick Nezet-Seguin) and the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal (Beethoven: Des Dieux, des Héros et des Hommes, on Analekta, led by Kent Nagano).

In the “classical recording of the year – soloist or small ensemble”, we salute the nomination of the Quatuor Alcan, participants in the recording entitled Mathieu: Trio & Quintette; Chausson – Concert, also featuring Alain Lefèvre and David Lefèvre, on the Analekta label.

Finally, in the “classical recording of the year – vocal”, we recognize the nominations of Les Violons du Roy (Britten: Les Illuminations, featuring Karina Gauvin and led by Jean-Marie Zeitouni, on the ATMA label), and Orchestre Metropolitain (on a recording entitled Marie-Josée Lord, led by Giuseppe Pietraroia featuring the eponymous singer, on ATMA Classique).

Congratulations to Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who will be presented with a Doctorate (honoris causa) from the Université de Québec à Montréal at Orchestre Métropolitain’s performance at Place des Arts on Monday, 21 March.

Last Sunday, the Philadelphia Orchestra announced the appointment of its eighth music director, Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Maestro Nézet-Séguin, currently music director of both Orchestre Métropolitain du grand Montréal and the Rotterdam Philharmonic, and Principal Guest Conductor of the London Philharmonic, will formally assume music director duties with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2012.

As reported by Peter Dobrin in the Philadelphia Inquirer, “With his datebook already crowded, Nézet-Séguin’s arrival in Philadelphia will come in phases. In 2010-11, as music-director-designate, he will conduct two weeks here. In 2011-12, the number of weeks will increase to five. In his first season as music director, 2012-2013, Nézet-Séguin will lead up to seven weeks of concerts. In his second and third seasons (2013-14 and 2014-15) he will conduct 15 weeks. He will conduct 16 weeks of concerts in his fourth and fifth seasons (2015-16 and 2016-17). His responsibilities will include subscription concerts, special events, tours and summer appearances.”

At the same time, however, Maestro Nézet-Séguin has been quick to confirm his loyalty to the Orchestre Métropolitain, noting that his contract with the orchestra has been renewed until 2015 “at least” and that he looks forward to future concerts. “To make music with the musicians in Orchestre Métropolitain never ceases to stimulate and nourish me,” he noted.

For more on the appointment, you can visit the websites of
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Orchestre Métropolitain

On June 16 and 17 in Ottawa, and June 20 in Montréal, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Orchestre Métropolitain will join forces – along with eight soloists and a 296-voice mass choir – under the leadership of OM music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, for Gustav Mahler‘s Symphony No. 8. The Ottawa performances mark the first-ever performance of the work by the National Arts Centre Orchestra and all three concerts are now completely sold out. The cast of soloists includes Erin Wall, Joni Henson, and Nathalie Paulin, sopranos; Susan Platts and Anita Krause, mezzo-sopranos, John MacMaster, tenor; Alexander Dobson, baritone; and Robert Pomakov, bass – and a chorus of 296 comprised of the Ottawa Choral Society (Matthew Larkin, Director), Cantata Singers of Ottawa (Michael Zaugg, Director), Ottawa Festival Chorus (Laurence Ewashko, Director), The Ewashko Singers (Laurence Ewashko, Director), Choeur de l’Orchestre Métropolitain (Alain Cazes and Pierre Tourville, Directors), and the Boys and Girls Choirs from Christ Church Cathedral, Ottawa (Matthew Larkin and Timothy Piper, Directors) – all under the direction of Duain Wolfe, Chorusmaster.

The performance on June 16 will also feature a very special presentation: her Excellency Michaëlle Jean will present a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award to Maestro Nézet-Séguin. Although the awards were “officially” presented in Ottawa on May 1, Maestro Nézet-Séguin was not able to attend, due to a previous conducting commitment – so a short on-stage ceremony (including a short film, produced by the National Film Board of Canada) will take place prior to the opening of the concert on June 16. For additional information, you can visit the NAC website here.

Just a few weeks ago, two stellar individuals from the Canadian orchestral community – Walter Homburger, CM and Yannick Nézet-Séguin – were honoured at the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala for 2010. Mr. Homburger received an Award for Lifetime Achievement, and Maestro Nézet-Séguin the National Arts Centre Award. Well, the Awards are annual – and the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation has announced a June 21 deadline for nominations for the 2011 Awards. Awards are presented for lifetime artistic achievement in the fields of theatre, dance, classical music, popular music, film, and radio and television broadcasting, as well as voluntarism in the performing arts. To learn more, and to download nomination materials, please visit the Foundation’s website here.