SMCQ, a mix of history
and contemporary music

A burst of enthusiasm for the magic of musical creation at the start of the new season

The Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ) brings a breath of fresh air to its upcoming cultural season by offering concerts and discovery activities, both in the concert hall and at home! This redesigned season, full of original creations and works, recalls one of the few certainties of this period: the magic of musical creation will not run out of steam!

The season’s opening concert, Vents nordiques, will take place on Sunday, September 27, at 3 pm, at Salle Pierre Mercure. The concert will offer the audience a program combining sound power and total freedom. Two works by Russian composer Galina Ustvolskaya will make it possible to discover sounds as unique as her instrumentations. Included are her piece for eight double basses and a wooden cube struck by a hammer! Michel Longtin – one of Canada’s most original voices – then pays tribute to Jean Sibelius, echoing the composer’s Finnish landscapes. Vents nordiques explores musical nordicity. The program sheds an exciting light on two composers with unprecedented styles.

This redesigned season, full of original creations and works, recalls one of the few certainties of this period: the magic of musical creation will not run out of steam!

Social distancing and musical harmonization through 10 recitals

After this introduction to high musical intensity, in the coming months the SMCQ will draw on its chamber music repertoire to present ten recitals featuring several nuggets of contemporary music..

“We will be taking advantage of the limits imposed by social distancing to get closer to a more intimate repertoire, by inviting some of the most experienced artists or small ensembles on the Montreal scene” notes Walter Boudreau, Artistic Director.

Pianists Brigitte Poulin, Jean Marchand and Louise Bessette will be showcased in October and November, with works of astonishing eclecticism, from Boudreau’s Planètes to Olivier Messiaen’s Visions de l’Amen and Denis Gougeon’s Andante sostenuto. In December a choral creation by Matthew C. Lane will be presented alongside works by Farangis Nurulla-Khoja, Alcides Lanza and Ana Sokolovic.

The fantastic history of the SMCQ in 10 podcasts

If they don’t have their next vacation getaway booked, SMCQ aficionados will be able to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at its history through a series of 10 podcasts spanning more than 50 years of musical creation. The superb actor Lorraine Pintal and journalist Réjean Beaucage join Maestro Boudreau and director Laurent Major to tell you a story full of anecdotes and enriched with many never before released recordings!

No rest for music at school and within the family!

While uncertainty hangs over music classes, once again this year the SMCQ’s impressive Youth Sector will standout for its unifying projects! Students from Quebec and elsewhere will be able to participate in virtual choirs that will punctuate the year according to the seasons with works by François-Hugues Leclair, as was done in last Spring’s Grands espaces. Not to mention the online educational platform that will allow little ears to continue to discover great musical projects.

The 10th edition of the Montreal/New Musics (MNM) International festival

The 2021 edition of the Montreal/New Musics (MNM) international festival will take place in Winter 2021. With its very current theme of “Borders”, fans of innovations all enjoy touring an international repertoire. However, programming will only be announced at the beginning of the year, depending on developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fall Concerts

Vents nordiques… to chase away Covid-19!
Sunday, September 27, 3 pm
Salle Pierre Mercure (Centre Pierre Péladeau)

SMCQ Ensemble, Jean-Michaël Lavoie (guest conductor)
Compositions no. 1 et 2 by Galina Ustvolskaya ; Pohjiatuuli by Michel Longtin

Recitals

October

Brigitte Poulin and Jean Marchand
Visions de l’Amen by Olivier Messiaen
Andante sostenuto by Denis Gougeon
Salle Pierre Mercure (Centre Pierre Péladeau)

The fantastic history of the SMCQ in 10 podcasts
Follow it online starting in October on our digital platforms

Youth Sector : Virtual Choirs
Online in October on smcqeducation.ca

November

Louise Bessette
Les Planètes by Walter Boudreau
Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven
Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy
At the Satosphère (Société des Arts Technologiques)

December

Sensors IV, by Alcides Lanza; a new creation by Matthew C. Lane
A thorn expands to a rose, by Farangis Nurulla-Khoja
ASAP for SATB, by Ana Sokolovic

Montreal/New Musics (MNM) International festival, 10th edition
February 18 to 28, 2021, details to come

Images: courtesy of SMCQ

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