Tourisme Montréal Blog » classical http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:46:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 MONTREAL CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/montreal-chamber-music-festival/ http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/montreal-chamber-music-festival/#comments Mon, 02 May 2011 17:45:02 +0000 v_redgrave /blog/?p=4040 The Montreal Chamber Music Festival, May 5–28, is celebrating 16 sold-out years.  This year the fest spotlights Beethoven’s string quartets for the first time in over a decade. There are also FREE pre-concert presentations before the Beethoven Series on Tuesdays and Wednesdays… Spring into music in Montreal with the something-for-everyone appeal of the Montreal Chamber Music Festival. Classical music aficionados can enjoy some of the world’s best quartets and everyone will love “Hot Sax” – part of the Jazz & Jeans Series. Here’s a quick run-down of the don’t-miss-dates… May 10-25 (Tuesday and Wednesdays): Beethoven played by three world-class quartets: The Tokyo Quartet, the Afiara Quartet (pictured above) and the Chiara String Quartet, Harvard University’s quartet in residence, premiering in Montreal. TIP: included in the price of admission is a free pre-concert lecture. Arrive at 7 p.m. for an explanation of the Beethoven piece to be performed at 8 p.m. May 6–27 (Fridays): Jazz and Jeans. What could be more fun! A relaxing way to segue way into the week-end. These Friday night jazz performances couldn’t be ‘cooler’, kicking off with Hot Sax featuring André Leroux (May 6). Next up is vocalist Carol Welsman (May 13), award-winning pianist and composer... / Read More →

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]]> The Montreal Chamber Music Festival, May 5–28, is celebrating 16 sold-out years.  This year the fest spotlights Beethoven’s string quartets for the first time in over a decade. There are also FREE pre-concert presentations before the Beethoven Series on Tuesdays and Wednesdays…

Spring into music in Montreal with the something-for-everyone appeal of the Montreal Chamber Music Festival. Classical music aficionados can enjoy some of the world’s best quartets and everyone will love “Hot Sax” – part of the Jazz & Jeans Series. Here’s a quick run-down of the don’t-miss-dates…

May 10-25 (Tuesday and Wednesdays): Beethoven played by three world-class quartets: The Tokyo Quartet, the Afiara Quartet (pictured above) and the Chiara String Quartet, Harvard University’s quartet in residence, premiering in Montreal. TIP: included in the price of admission is a free pre-concert lecture. Arrive at 7 p.m. for an explanation of the Beethoven piece to be performed at 8 p.m.

May 6–27 (Fridays): Jazz and Jeans. What could be more fun! A relaxing way to segue way into the week-end. These Friday night jazz performances couldn’t be ‘cooler’, kicking off with Hot Sax featuring André Leroux (May 6). Next up is vocalist Carol Welsman (May 13), award-winning pianist and composer Lorraine Desmarais (May 20), and Denis Plante (May 27), with his dynamic take on tango.

May 5–26 (Thursdays): World-renowned pianists and violinists. Opening on May 5 with the première of James Ehnes Piano Trio. Considered one of the world’s finest violinists, Ehnes is joined by Canada’s 16-year old piano sensation and newly-signed Deutsche Grammophon recording artist Jan Lisiecki. Enjoy the Swingle Singers on May 12 and, on May 19, violinist Jonathan Crow, performs with pianist Jean Philippe Collard.

The Montreal Chamber Music Festival is totally unique. How unique? Well, U.S.-based NPR (National Public Radio) is coming to Montreal in order to record all the performances. Premiering in St. George’s Church, one of the finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Canada, the concerts take place in a perfect space. The church’s vaulted wooden ceilings offer perfect acoustics. And metro, bus stops and parking are mere minutes away.

My favourite bit? FREE CONCERTS. May 2-4 at 7 p.m at the Espace Culturel Georges-Émile Lapalme.

FUN FACT:  You will of course hear some fabulous music but you can also see $20,000,000 worth of instruments on stage.

A

THE DETAILS

Montreal Chamber Music Festival, May 5 to May 28, 2011

St. George’s Church (Corner Peel and de la Gauchetière)

Metro: Bonaventure

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]]> http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/montreal-chamber-music-festival/feed/ 0 EASTER CHOIRS IN MONTREAL http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/easter-choirs-in-montreal/ http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/easter-choirs-in-montreal/#comments Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:27:26 +0000 Brendan Murphy /blog/?p=3905 If you’re in Montreal for Easter Weekend, April 20 to 24, why not take the opportunity to hear some of the city’s best choirs in some of the most incredible settings in town… The easiest way to begin this post is by starting with a look at a couple of Montreal’s most impressive churches. There is, obviously, a religious connection between choral music and church, but I’m a music guy, so I’ll just mention that they have some of the best acoustics in town… Churches Notre-Dame Basilica: This jewel of Old Montreal is renowned around the world for the impact of its Gothic Revival architecture, incredibly colourful interior and Casavant organ. During the course of the year, it is home to a range of choirs, symphonies and ensembles, but on April 23rd it will be the Basilica’s own choir adding their voices to the Easter Mass. Saint-Joseph’s Oratory: Another of Montreal’s iconic landmarks, the Oratory is a truly spectacular basilica located on Mount Royal, which is equally recognised as being the home of the recent canonized Saint André Bessette. Their boys’ choir, the Petites Chanteurs du Mont-Royal, has been singing at the Sunday morning mass for over 50 years and... / Read More →

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]]> If you’re in Montreal for Easter Weekend, April 20 to 24, why not take the opportunity to hear some of the city’s best choirs in some of the most incredible settings in town…

The easiest way to begin this post is by starting with a look at a couple of Montreal’s most impressive churches. There is, obviously, a religious connection between choral music and church, but I’m a music guy, so I’ll just mention that they have some of the best acoustics in town…

Churches

Notre-Dame Basilica: This jewel of Old Montreal is renowned around the world for the impact of its Gothic Revival architecture, incredibly colourful interior and Casavant organ. During the course of the year, it is home to a range of choirs, symphonies and ensembles, but on April 23rd it will be the Basilica’s own choir adding their voices to the Easter Mass.

Saint-Joseph’s Oratory: Another of Montreal’s iconic landmarks, the Oratory is a truly spectacular basilica located on Mount Royal, which is equally recognised as being the home of the recent canonized Saint André Bessette. Their boys’ choir, the Petites Chanteurs du Mont-Royal, has been singing at the Sunday morning mass for over 50 years and Easter Weekend will be no exception.

Choirs

Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montreal: The Studio, which matches an incredible choir with accomplished period musicians, has been one of Montreal’s true musical powerhouses for over 30 years and specializes in music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. You can find them at Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel on April 22, performing works from Victoria, Gesualdo, Morales and Tallis.

Choeur de L’UQAM: Alongside the Société Philharmonique de Montréal and featuring soprano Elyse Charlebois and mezzo-soprano Andrea Kövagó under the direction of Maestro Miklós Takács, this esteemed choir will celebrate the music of Frank Liszt on April 22 at the Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste.

Fans of this post should take special note that the Montreal Chamber Music Festival runs from May 5 to May 28 and we’ll have preview coming on the blog soon…

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