Ennio Morricone’s
Symphonic Universe

The FILMharmonique Orchestra is back with another edition of its acclaimed series, Music at the Movies

February 4, 2025

The FILMharmonique Orchestra returns to the stage with a new edition of its iconic series, The Symphonic Universe of Cinema. This year, the orchestra honours the musical genius of Ennio Morricone, the legendary composer whose works have marked film history.

After three eagerly awaited concerts at Montreal’s Maison Symphonique on February 7 and 8, the orchestra will continue its tour with two performances at Quebec City’s Palais Montcalm on February 9, before wrapping up this series with a concert at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall on February 14. An unforgettable sound journey through the Italian master’s greatest compositions.

Under the baton of the talented Maestro Francis Choinière, the orchestra and its choir will perform Morricone’s most iconic works: From the poignant melodies of The Mission to the unforgettable themes of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and the moving romanticism of Cinema Paradiso.

Ennio Morricone • CC Wikipedia

Ennio Morricone, an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, trumpeter, and pianist who wrote music in a wide range of styles, is a pivotal figure in film music. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classical works, Morricone is widely considered one of the most prolific and greatest film composers of all time. He is particularly famous for his collaborations with director Sergio Leone on spaghetti westerns, a genre he revolutionized through innovative and memorable scores for films like Once Upon a Time in the West.

Morricone received an Honorary Oscar in 2007 for his exceptional contribution to cinematic art and won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for Quentin Tarantino‘s The Hateful Eight in 2016. He successfully bridged the gap between classical and popular music, influencing generations of composers and filmmakers.

“It’s a true privilege to dedicate an entire concert to the extraordinary work of Ennio Morricone, whose compositions have left an indelible mark on the film industry. His music is timeless, evoking deep emotions in audiences of all generations,” emphasizes Francis Choinière, conductor of the FILMharmonique Orchestra.

The FILMharmonique Orchestra’s series The Symphonic Universe of Cinema has quickly become a crowd favourite. Last spring, their tribute to John Williams was a huge success, with 8 sold-out performances in Montreal, Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, and Toronto.

Bringing together the majestic sounds of a symphony orchestra and the pure emotion of a choir, this concert is an invitation to rediscover Ennio Morricone’s masterpieces that have left their mark on both the world of music and cinema.

The Symphonic Universe of Cinema – A Tribute to Ennio Morricone

February 7, 2025 – 7:30 pm – Maison symphonique, Montreal
February 8, 2025 – 2:00 pm – Maison symphonique, Montreal
February 8, 2025 – 7:30 pm – Maison symphonique, Montreal
February 9, 2025 – 2:00 pm – Salle Raoul-Jobin, Quebec City
February 9, 2025 – 7:00 pm – Salle Raoul-Jobin, Quebec City
February 14, 2025 – 8:00 pm – Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto

Tickets available

About the FILMharmonique Orchestra

The FILMharmonique Orchestra, composed of world-class Canadian musicians, is Canada’s premier film music orchestra. Since its creation in 2015 by Denis Chabot, the FILMharmonique Orchestra has been presenting sold-out film concerts each year at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts, including Harry Potter, Amadeus, Star Wars, The Godfather, Gladiator, Titanic, Fantasia, La Passion d’Augustine, Bugs Bunny, and The Lord of the Rings.

The FILMharmonique has accompanied several internationally renowned artists, including Hans Zimmer, Andrea Bocelli, Stevie Wonder, Patrick Watson, Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones), Ute Lemper, Patrick Bruel, and Stacey Kent. The FILMharmonique’s mission is to make classical music accessible to a wider audience.

The Orchestra is committed to promoting Canadian artists, cultural exchanges, music education, and accessibility to classical music. Since its inception, the orchestra has also recorded several albums under the GFN Classiques label.

About GFN Productions

GFN Productions is a Quebec-based music producer and promoter that organizes over 75 concerts each year across Canada. The company collaborates with a wide range of artists and specializes in producing large-scale symphonic and orchestral concerts.

As Canada’s leading promoter of cine-concerts in recent years, GFN Productions established a partnership with the FILMharmonique Orchestra since its founding in 2018. GFN manages the Montreal-based orchestra, which performs regularly throughout the country. GFN Productions has also produced four albums under the GFN Classics label, five concert recordings and a short documentary film titled Passé recomposé.

In addition to concert production, GFN Productions offers a full range of services including artist management, tour management, orchestral contracting, and music recording, which has solidified its reputation among Canada’s leading independent promoters.

Feature image: Illustration by Marc LaTulippe – Courtesy of GFN Productions

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