At home in the beautiful, state-of-the-art Maison Symphonique de Montréal, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra delights listeners this April with Jean-François Rivest conducting the Franck Symphony, winner of the OSM Standard Life Competition, featuring principal bass Ali Yazdanfar (April 5 and 7), Kent Nagano conducting Brahms’ Fourth (April 13), and pianist Till Fellner and Beethoven’s Third Concerto, conducted by Kent Nagano (April 16-17).

In May, the new OSM chamber choir takes on medieval and gregorian music in Fauré & Duruflé: Two Requiem (May 5), closely followed by the great, award-winning virtuoso violinist Itzhak Perlman performing works by Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms on May 7. Families will love the Magic Horn (May 19), a story of a genie and his horn, told with exotic musical instruments. Surrealist music of the early 20th century, focused on the group of composers called Les Six, returns in Walton, Milhaud, Cocteau: Surrealism before its time (May 21), while David Zinman conducts Mahler’s Fifth (May 22-23) and Kent Nagano conducts the choral work of Paul Claudel and Arthur Honegger, Joan of Arc at the Stake (May 28, 30, and June 1).

Summer may or may not get going for real in June, but during the beginning of the month, it’s safe to say that it’s good to be able to make a quick escape from spring showers. See Simon Leclerc conduct  the popular group Mes Aïeux play songs from their repertoire and the music of Quebecois singer-songwriter Plume Latraverse, who joins Mes Aïeux June 5-6.

Along with the OSM, Montreal boasts another world-class orchestra, the Orchestre Métropolitan. This spring season, Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the orchestra present Verdi’s Requiem, featuring soloists and full choir on March 24 (plus a free conference in the foyer at 2 p.m.), Youth Spirit 2.0 with up-and-coming artists on April 25, and Nézet-Séguin conducts Strauss: 2 Orchestras, 1 Conductor, with Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Orchestra joining in on May 10. All concerts at the Maison Symphonique de Montréal.

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Pointe-à-Callière, the Montreal history and archaeology museum, has been hosting its Port Symphonies for 20 years now, challenging a local or international composer to pen a symphony to be performed using a variety of ship horns, train whistles and percussion found in the harbour of the Old Port – the result of that endeavour plays out near the museum at Place Royale on March 3 and March 10 at 1:30 p.m.

This year, in light of Pointe-à-Callière’s Japan-focused temporary exhibition Samurai: The Prestigious Collection of Richard Béliveau, the museum asked Japanese Montrealer Kota Nakamura to compose a work that would evoke the culture and history of Japan. The symphony, entitled Cymbidium, not only makes use of train whistles and tugboat horns, but incorporates human voices, flute, taiko drums and more.

While the armour and weaponry of Japan’s samurai tradition stand proudly displayed in all their finery inside the museum, representing one aspect of the country’s culture, Nakamura’s symphony, named after Japanese orchids that blossom in March, lends a lighter note to traditional and contemporary Japanese ways of life, while also commenting on the urban landscape of the Port of Montreal. The museum even adds another Japanese touch this weekend with their Nuit Blanche festivities including re-tellings of traditional samurai tales.

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Pointe-à-Callière’s Port Symphonies, March 3 and 10, 2:30 p.m.

Photo Credit: © Noémie Letu

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(outdoor sparkle) While the Old Port lights up to musical accompaniment every Saturday night at 8 p.m. for December’s Telus Fire on Ice fireworks show, the Noël sur l’avenue Mont-Royal brightens up a long stretch of shop-and-restaurant-rich Mont-Royal Avenue, beginning with a joyful, candle-lit parade on December 8, starting at Mont-Royal Metro at 7 p.m. and ending at Parc Lafontaine with choirs singing, music playing and fireworks too! And throughout the month, kids and adults alike can take part in all kinds of activities, including a tree decoration workshop, December 9 at Place Gérald-Godin. And over at the beautiful Montreal Botanical Gardens, the main greenhouse is decked out for the holiday season with lights, new plant life, choir performances on weekend afternoons, and a craft fair December 7-9.

(glimmering gifts) Find professionally handmade and unique gifts at Montreal’s craft and artisanal fairs this weekend. Over 400 Quebec artists and artisans offer clothing, toys, food and much more at Salon des métiers d’art, downtown at Place Bonaventure to December 22 – Santa even drops by every Saturday afternoon. Find more creative gifts at the festive Le Marché Casse Noisette, co-organized by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, on until December 9 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. Designers, artists and other creative types set up mini-boutiques at the hip, cool Smart Design Mart, December 7-9 at 5505 Casgrain, in Mile End. Also in the neighbourhood is the Old Skool Crafts Holiday Fair, at L’Église St-Michel (105 St-Viateur W.) – it continues next weekend too, rivalling the new-skool at Puces Pop DIY & Craft Fair. And head east to Haut & Fort Noël Market at Marché St-Jacques (2nd floor, 1125 Ontario East).

(fancy food & drink) December is a time to indulge in social delights and delicious things – both are plentiful at FoodLab this month as the restaurant, located in cutting-edge multimedia centre le SAT, offers a “Grandes tablées” menu of Québécois terroir: December 10-13 try the Terrine De Gibier & Pot-Au-Feu, plus appetizers and desserts, all for $45 a person. Or warm up in nearby Chinatown with a steaming bowl of cheap and cheerful pho soup. Later, get cozy with friends and friendly Montrealers at any one of the city’s neighbourhood brew pubs.

(art & sound) Family friendly activities abound in December, including entertaining, interactive art around the city: downtown at the Quartier des Spectacles, walk through and play with musical installation Iceberg and see several large-scale projections on buildings along Sainte-Catherine and de Maisonneuve, all part of Luminothérapie. It’s also worth the trip to Maison de la Culture Maisonneuve to make your own music inside The Improbable Igloo, an igloo-shaped dome made of speakers by artist Alexis O’Hara, on until December 20. And fans of the band Sigur Ros won’t want to miss a screening of Sigur Ros: Valtari Film Experiment at the Phi Centre on December 9.

(comedy & theatre) Comedian Jeff Dunham’s show on December 9 at the Bell Centre is sure to be funny and strange and puppet-filled, just like Christmas, right? Later in the week, check out the hilarious DeAnne Smith headlining and Al Lafrance hosting “giftalicious” stand-up comedy show Let’s Do This! – it costs a mere $5 or a wrapped present if you want to be a part of a wacky gift exchange – at Mainline Theatre, December 13. Children’s theatre experts Geordie Productions add entertaining new twists to the classic tale of Robin Hood, December 7-16 at the Centaur Theatre. And for more traditional holiday theatre there’s Les Grands Ballets The Nutcracker, December 13-30 at Place des Arts.

(classical tunes) The sounds of Christmas are writ large when The Montreal Symphony Orchestra teams up with the Montreal Bach Festival to present Bach’s Christmas Oratorio performed by internationally renowned Collegium Vocale Gent, December 12-13. On December 8, The Orchestre Métropolitain performs Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6, while on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, Les Choralies Christmas concerts find harmony at Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours in Old Montreal. Le Choeur Gospel Célébration sings its Noël Divin program of Christmas and holiday-themed music at The Gesù on December 9. And at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on December 9, the Cantivo Vocal Ensemble gives a performance free of charge and on December 12, soprano Hélène Guilmette sing cantatas and traditional songs.

(rock n’ roll) Friday night brings much-loved Australian multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd to Metropolis and Loreena McKennitt to Place des Arts, while the skyrocketing love for the indie-rock of Half Moon Run peaks at Le National, Alaclair Ensemble adds hip hop to modern art at the MACM, and Keys N Krates’ electro-hip-hop fills the dancefloor at Le Belmont. More dancing is in store with electronic music producer Jacques Greene, Doldrums and more live on Saturday night at the SAT. Sunday, December 9 sees The Faint playing their album Danse Macabre, with Trust opening, at Club Soda. Since Monday is the new Friday, why not make a night of it with NYC’s St. Lucia at Divan Orange on December 10. On Tuesday, Rock and swoon to the electro-orchestral-tinged sound of The Breezes, with Montreal’s CFCF at Sala Rossa.

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Montreal is a city of many churches, some of which host spectacular Christmas concerts. Notre-Dame Basilica welcomes the Montreal Symphony Orchestra performing Hector Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ for the first time with Kent Nagano conducting the powerful orchestral and choral oratorio, December 19-20. The Basilica also hosts eight Quebecois singers interpreting traditional Christmas songs for the Les Stars chantent Noël concert, December 14-15 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. There’s even a chance to hear the Notre-Dame Basilica organ in action as organist Pierre Grandmaison rehearses on December 23-24 and 28-31 at 2 p.m. The Basilica’s Let There Be Light multi-media show also continues throughout the month.

Les Choralies Christmas concerts add harmonious voices to the quiet space of Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours in Old Montreal, every Saturday and Sunday afternoon at 1:30 and 3 p.m., including a jazz twist on December 9, gospel hymns on December 16, a closing concert on December 23 with the Da Capo ensemble. The Gesù, a downtown church that also has a concert venue, will be full of glorious sound on December 9 at 3 p.m. as the award-winning Le Choeur Gospel Célébration sings its Noël Divin program of Christmas and holiday-themed music. On December 16, the Gesù’s organ gets a workout in the French 18th century music of Les douze Noëls pour orgue de Louis-Claude Daquin, with organist François Zeitouni. And December 27-28 brings La Pastorale des Santons de Provence d’Yvan Audouard to the Gesù space.

The newly built Maison Symphonique de Montréal, downtown at Place des Spectacles, also rings in the holiday cheer this December. The Montreal Symphony Orchestra and conductor Kent Nagano add a twist to traditional Québécois music as Québec writer Bryan Perro tells a magical, Christmassy tale of two villages on the Saint-Maurice River – the storytelling is in French, while the music transcends language – December 14-15 at Maison symphonique de Montréal. The OSM and the Montreal Bach Festival present internationally renowned Collegium Vocale Gent performing Bach’s Christmas Oratorio on December 12-13. And The Orchestre Métropolitain, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, makes the month more romantic with performances of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6 on December 8.

Festive sounds permeate the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts throughout the month in a series of Christmas- and holiday-themed concerts. Free choral concerts take place on December 9 (Cantivo Vocal Ensemble) and on December 16 (Westmount Harmonia) in the Hall of Bronzes of the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion at 3 p.m., with local vocal groups lifting their voices high. In the museum’s grand Bourgie Hall, hear soprano Hélène Guilmette sing cantatas and traditional songs on December 12, soprano Suzie LeBlanc in a traditional concert of Advent music, with violinist, organist and conductor on December 16 at 3 p.m., and on December 28-29, join in on the Arte Musica choral concert Let’s Sing Christmas! at 2 p.m.

And if the natural world is your sanctuary, choirs also come to the Montreal Botanic Gardens this month, making themselves at home among the greenery in the festively decorated and lit-up main greenhouse December 8-9, 15-16, and 22-23 throughout the afternoon.

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David Byrne and St. Vincent: Pop Montreal is always good at recognizing the more offbeat side of  classic rock, and this year they bring us David Byrne, whose Talking Heads irrefutably changed the weird-rock landscape. Byrne also takes the stage with St. Vincent to play songs from their collaborative new album. September 21 at Église St-Jean Baptiste.

Antibalas and K’Naan with Nomadic Massive: This show, on the fest’s opening night, truly gets the party started with the high-energy Afrobeat sound of NYC’s Antibalas, “Ethio-jazz” hip hop of Toronto’s K’Naan and Montreal’s own, always-fun, community-minded Nomadic Massive. September 19 at Corona Theatre.

Grizzly Bear and Unknown Mortal Orchestra: Grizzly Bear has been getting nothing but hype this year with their new album, Shields, just out and getting rave reviews. Unknown Mortal Orchestra opens with an intriguing, spacey sound all their own. September 23 at Olympia.

Laetitia Sadier: More sounds that from the turn of the millennium become new again as former Stereolab member Laetitia Sadier plays pretty, thoughtful songs from her recent repertoire. September 19 at the Ukrainian Culture Centre.

Dirty Three: Long-time makers of melodic noise-pop and violin-drenched drone, Australia’s Dirty Three return in full form to this year’s festival. September 20 at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre.

Tim Hecker: A visceral experience for ears, mind and body, a show from Montreal’s Tim Hecker is perfectly suited to a church setting, organ music (suitably warped) and all, with openers Julia Holter and Solar Year. September 21 at Church of St-John the Evangelist.

Chilly Gonzales: Take the rock down a few notches with Chilly Gonzales, who plays what’s sure to be a lovely, musically impressive show entitled Piano Vision, with talented multi-instrumentalist and singer Kyrie Kristmanson opening. September 22 at L’Olympia.

Yamantaka // Sonic Titan: Montreal’s rock rising stars Yamantaka // Sonic Titan turn their operatic ways with noise-rock into a full-on show called Opera 33, sure to be a dramatic sonic adventure. September 21 at the Rialto Theatre.

Label showcases: Cheap and packed with as much tried-and-true as up-and-coming talent, record label showcases are always a good bet when it comes to show hopping. Check out Fixture Records, Arbutus (also home to Grimes, who plays a sold-out show on Thursday), Arts & Crafts, Passovah Productions, and dance the night away at The Sofa King Raw Pop showcase, featuring Ango, Black Atlass and more.

Free shows: Pop Montreal likes to give good stuff away sometimes, and we love them for it. Last year it was Arcade Fire and this year it’s Stars and Diamond Rings on September 19, along with free shows (and BBQs!) in the afternoon and early evening in Parc de la Petite-Italie, featuring Mozart’s Sister and many more on September 20 and 21, at store Citizen Vintage and at Mission Santa Cruz (60 Rachel W.) September 19-21.

My bonus pick isn’t a show but the conglomeration of activities that make up the non-music parts of Pop: Film Pop, the Pop Symposium, Art Pop, craft fair Puces Pop, the Record Fair and Kids Pop.

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Pop Montreal, September 19-23, 2012

Photo Credit: Bryan Murray- David Byrne & St. Vincent at rehearsal.

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(pop overload) It’s all just so much, really. As a fan of live music, I’m in my happy place during Pop Montreal – and since the fest takes over many venues, that happy place seems to be everywhere. Whether you’re into folk-pop, indie-metal or country-electro, check out at least one show at this music fest. There’s also a great film program, stellar art exhibitions, free afternoon BBQs and music at Notman House (51 Sherbrooke W.), a talk by Maus creator and comic book icon Art Spiegelman (September 24, 4 p.m., 1455 de Maisonneuve West), and more. Shoppers can check out Puces Pop, an art, craft, jewellery and fashion fair, September 24–25 at St-Michael Church and the Record Fair at the Ukrainian Federation (5213 Hutchison). Lest we forget the children, Kids Pop offers sing-alongs, yoga, a dress-up photo booth and art workshops on the afternoon of September 25, at the Chinese Presbyterian Church.

(artistic leanings) The stunning Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is only on until October 2 – it seriously deserves at least one viewing, and I know several people who’ve made repeat visits. The Museum also unveils on Monday a monumental public artwork by internationally renowned Montreal artist David Altmejd in front of the Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion of Quebec and Canadian Art (1339 Sherbrooke West). The wonderful city-wide photography festival Mois de la Photo as well as the World Press Photo exhibition continue until the end of the month, as does Workspace Unlimited’s immersive multi-media work RealTime UnReal at the Musée d’art Contemporain.

(it’s not all pop) Pop Montreal may be drawing crowds young and old and rock n’ roll will never die, but neither will jazz and classical music, if Montreal can help it anyway. Jazz legends Oliver Jones and Michel Donato along with The Doxas Brothers play the Segal Centre, September 25, and the Montreal Jazz Festival’s autumn show series at the Bistro Le Balmoral heats up every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m. Meanwhile, the 13th Orgue et couleurs Fall Festival of classical organ music runs September 23 to October 2, with free lunch-time concerts and reasonably priced evening concerts at churches, music venues, cultural centres around town. And the Montreal Symphony Orchestra settles into its new Concert Hall with conductor Michel Plasson, cellist Gautier Capuçon and works by Ravel, Roussel, Gounod and more, September 29 to October 2.

(Indian rhythms) This Sunday’s La Bal du Dimanche Danse Indienne not only gives us a performance by dancer Deepali Lindblom along with 6 other dancers skilled in various forms of Indian dance, such as folkloric theatrical dance and the classical Karthak, but also a free class on Bollywood dance, open to everyone! September 25, 2 p.m. at Places des Arts’ Espace Culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme – free!

(far-east acrobatics) Montreal’s own circus centre, La Tohu, stretches the definition of circus once again with Chi of Shaolin: Tale of the Dragon, a high-energy, family-friendly show that blends martial arts, dance, sabre work, hand balancing, contortion, foot-juggling and Chinese diabolo to tell tell the story of a monk who takes a failed young thief under his wing. See the feats of studied technique, strength and pure entertainment as Chi of Shaolin’s Chinese acrobats push their own limits in a surprising show, at La Tohu, September 27 to October 6.

(fresh air) There’s still time to spend outside while the warm-ish weather lasts! Popular Sunday-afternoon electro-dance-party Piknic Electronik invites everyone out to Parc Jean Drapeau for the grand finale piknic of the year with French trio dOP and local favourites. Meanwhile, downtown on Ste-Catherine Street W., as part of In Town Without My Car, Cease Collective presents the vision of five artists who will create a 20′ x 8′ billboard using paper, glue, and scissors to be complete on September 22, at Square Phillips (Ste-Catherine at Union).

(high drama) Make a dramatic, thought-provoking night of it with Peter Shaffer’s play Equus – the performance, directed with creative panache by Domy Reiter-Soffer, left me, and the rest of the theatre, with plenty to ponder and talk about – at the Segal Centre, to October 2. Over at Places des Arts, the Opéra de Montréal goes grand and pulls out all the stops with Mozart’s classic Le nozze di Figaro, featuring soprano Nicole Cabell, to September 24.

(new dance) One of Montreal’s avant-garde dance institutions, Agora de la danse, produces two challenging shows this week: Jocelyne Montpetit’s butoh work Avril est le mois le plus cruel inspired by the poetry of T.S. Eliot, September 22–23, and Danse à 10, an unconventional approach to dance from young, hip, experimental dance troupe La 2e Porte à Gauche, known for performing in strange locales – eight choreographers take over a strip bar this time, Kingdom Gentleman’s Club of Montreal (1417 St-Laurent), September 25–27 and October 2–3, 7 p.m., $10. And on September 29, Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui returns to Montreal with Babel- 18 dancers and musicians representing elements of 13 countries and 7 religions, at Places des Arts.

(audio hackers) Montreal, ever the creative land, becomes a part of a relatively new phenomenon that blends music, technology and rebellion: Music Hack Day Montreal. Though it seems that musicians have been altering their instruments to get the sounds they want forever (hey, what are pedals for), new technologies in software and hardware have expanded the realm of music making exponentially in the last 50 years. Music Hack Day brings together programmers, musicians, designers and anyone with a bent for making music in any way shape or form – September 24–25 at Eastern Bloc (7240 Clark).

(film forum) The Montreal International Black Film Festival introduces a great variety of films from around the world that tackle everything from day-to-day existence to historical issues of slavery to racism in the suburbs of Paris. The opening film is French comedy Case Départ (Back to Square One), and closing the festival is Gabriel Range’s I Am Slave, based on the life of Mende Nazer. In between are over 125 more films as well as a September 24 conference on African-Americans in the film industry. The fest runs September 22 to October 2, at Cinéma Impérial, Cinéma ONF and Cinéma du Parc.

(music and more) While Pop Montreal would seem to be taking over the city’s music scene September 22–25, there’s still more music to be had. Like the full-on force of team Kanye West and Jay-Z – together the hip-hop royals make The Throne, at the Bell Centre, September 25. The music of Sigur Ros comes in film form in the North American Premiere of INNI, by amazing Montreal filmmaker Vincent Morisset – 75 minutes of footage from their last live shows at London’s Alexandra, playing September 27 at Le National (1220 Ste-Catherine E.), 8 p.m. Also that night, not only do indie-pop forerunners and always a good time, Mates of State play Il Motore (179 Jean Talon West), but Who-frontman Roger Daltry performs The Who at Place des Arts! And on September 29, long-time heavy new wavers Trans Am returns to play the entirety of their album Futureworld, at Il Motore.

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The Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and their superstar conductor, Kent Nagano, have put together another great fall lineup and, once again, I’m impressed at what a forward-thinking, proactive organization they are. It’s easy for classical music to take the stance of letting the audience come to them, but the OSM continues to prove that they are an orchestra connected to their city…

Whether it’s the discounts aimed at younger concert goers and students, or their totally cool collaboration with Mutek and The Orb’s Thomas Fehlman, it’s abundantly clear that they are committed to finding new audiences. But don’t fear, classical purists, they have a fall schedule that has something for everyone and I suggest getting in at the ground level, as next year’s season will open in a brand new, world-class concert hall. But for now, here are some highlights from the fall lineup:

All Tchaikovsky: September wraps up with a look at some selected works from the Russian composer who has composed some of the most recognized pieces in the world- like Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and a little jam called the 1812 Overture. For these shows, Mikhail Pletnev and André Laplante, winners of the International Tchaikovsky Competition will tackle Romeo and Juliet, his Fifth Symphony and more.

Kent Nagano and Mahler: In October, everything is coming up Mahler at the OSM. We begin with the famed conductor and composer’s Fifth Symphony, an ode to his wife Alma, for which Nagano will be joined by master violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter. From there we move onto Symphony No. 1, well known for its incorporation of popular and Gypsy music, before closing with Mahler’s “terrifying and tragic” Sixth , for which the Orchestra with joined by one of the world’s greatest living pianists, Emanuel Ax.

Paganini & Salvatore Accardo: Part of being an internationally respected Orchestra is the ability to bring in some of the most talented musicians in the world. For this look at Niccolò Paganini, a composer and violinist so technically proficient that he was thought to be in possession of supernatural powers, the OSM is welcoming to Montreal Salvatore Accardo, one of the preeminent Italian violinists of our time. Sir Roger Norrington, of the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, will be on hand as they also delve into the music of Haydn and Elgar.

This is only a small sampling of what is on deck this fall at the OSM, so take some time to go through their schedule and find something that suits you. We’ll be back to check in on the OSM in December when, among other wintery treats for your ears, they present that Christmas classic, Handel’s Messiah, in the Notre-Dame Basilica…

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