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Soloist Paul Merkelo, conductor Adam Johnson, and the OCM. Photo: Tam Lan Truong

Review | OCM Unable to Swing for Stellar Jazz Soloists

By Heather Weinreb on 28 February 2025 Concert Reviews, Jazz, Montreal, Orchestral, Piano

On Feb. 25, Orchestre Classique de Montréal (OCM) presented Jazz & Jeans in Montreal’s Pierre Mercure Hall. A program of great symphonic jazz repertoire—from Gershwin to Ellington to arrangements by Miles Davis—was played by an orchestra of jeaned musicians. Jeans are worn on casual days at work. For many, especially classically trained musicians, jazz is thought to be a more casual, laid-back style of music. Yet jazz has its own set of rules. Chord changes, swinging eighth notes, improvisation … the aspects that distinguish jazz from classical music demand serious study. Though they may have worn jeans, soloists Paul Merkelo…

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and conductor Daniel Raiskin.

Review | Alexei Volodin’s Astonishing Rachmaninoff with the VSO

By Madeline Boldt on 25 February 2025 Classical Music, Concert Reviews, Orchestral, Piano, Vancouver

Astonished. That is the word that comes to mind when watching pianist Alexei Volodin work his magic. I could go on and on about the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra—they never fail to leave me breathless—but Volodin added a level of majesty that elevated the performance from breathtaking to exquisite. The Russian pianist joined the VSO for a series of concerts (heard Feb. 22) that included Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Volodin is described as “acclaimed for his highly sensitive touch and technical brilliance”. His repertoire is almost as extensive as his resume, having performed with countless orchestras internationally, from the Hiroshima…

Shown left-right: Elisabeta Cojocaru and Kimly Mengyin Wang (photos submitted by the artist).

Pianists Elisabeta Cojocaru and Kimly Mengyin Wang Join COC’s Ensemble Studio

By Newswire on 18 February 2025 Classical Music, Piano, Toronto

Toronto – The Canadian Opera Company welcomes Elisabeta Cojocaru and Kimly Mengyin Wang to the company’s Ensemble Studio as pianist coaches for the 2025/2026 season. Cojocaru is currently a pianist with McGill-Université de Montréal Vocal Arts Residency who has recently participated in festivals across North America and Europe including l’Académie vocale internationale de Lachine in Montréal, SongFest in Nashville, Opera Nuova in Edmonton, and Exzellenz Labor Oper in Germany. Wang’s extensive career spans solo recitals, chamber music, and opera performances across North America, Europe, and China; recently she served as a vocal coach at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute and as a répétiteur for opera productions at the Boston University Opera Institute.…

Introducing the New Artists of the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal!

By Newswire on 18 February 2025 Montreal, Music Competition, Opera, Piano, Vocal

Montreal, February 18, 2025 – The Opéra de Montréal is proud to announce the newest members of the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, selected following the National Auditions finals at the annual Talent Gala on November 20. This year marks a significant milestone for the internationally renowned professional development residency with the introduction of a specialized training program for stage directors. The 2024 cohort will welcome five singers, one pianist, and one stage director for an intensive one- to two-year training program. – Tessa Fackelmann (mezzo-soprano – ON) – Ellita Gagner (mezzo-soprano – ON) – Colin Mackey (baritone -…

Benjamin Appl and Eric Lu. Photo 1: David Ruano

Review | Benjamin Appl & Eric Lu’s Schwanengesang at Bourgie Hall

By Amanda Wong on 17 February 2025 Art Song, Concert Reviews, Montreal, Piano, Vocal

A German-born baritone like Benjamin Appl is certainly no stranger to Schubert’s work. I can only assume that the Austrian composer’s impressive list of over 600 songs offer much to Appl’s repertoire, who himself is largely a Lieder singer. Accompanied by American pianist Eric Lu, Appl presented Schubert’s Schwanengesang—his ‘swan songs’—as well as Beethoven’s song collection, An die ferne Geliebte (To the Distant Beloved), at Montreal’s Bourgie Hall on Feb. 13. What you missed Though one’s swan song is typically a final piece or performance before retirement or death, Schubert’s Schwanengesang is a collection of Lieder compiled and shared by…

Louis Lortie at Bourgie Hall. Photos: Claudine Jacques

Review | Louis Lortie Plays Crystal Clear Ravel

By Heather Weinreb on 6 February 2025 Classical Music, Concert Reviews, Montreal, Piano

It is a rare and special concert when one senses that not only the performer, but the composer, is on stage. On February 4 at Bourgie Hall, Louis Lortie played a wealth of Ravel’s piano works, from the iconic Pavane pour une infante défunte to the highly intricate Gaspard de la nuit. He played each piece with such stunning clarity it seemed as though Ravel himself was onstage with Lortie, calmly listening to his own pieces being played just as he would have wanted them to be. What you missed: Lortie’s playing is particularly striking in its attention to the…

Olga Kudriakova (piano) with the Orchestre symphonique de Laval. Photo: Gabriel Fournier

Review | Orchestre symphonique de Laval and the Idea of North

By Jan Krejcar on 3 February 2025 Classical Music, Concert Reviews, Orchestral, Piano, Strings

Winter has been in full swing this past week and with it, the fourth edition of Orchestre symphonique de Laval (OSL)’s Festival classique hivernal. The festival’s aptly titled second concert, Nordic Mosaic, consisted entirely of music composed north of latitude 45 (Feb. 1 at Salle André Mathieu). The program followed a standard format, with the commanding Jean-Marie Zeitouni at the helm delivering a shorter symphonic work (Jacques Hétu’s Legendes, op. 76), and a concerto (Edward Grieg’s famous one for piano and orchestra op. 16). The second half was dedicated to Jean Sibelius’ Symphony, No. 5 in E-flat Major, op. 82.…

Photo: Tam Photography

Noémie Raymond-Friset: Beyond the Printed Score

By Madeline Boldt on 31 January 2025 Classical, Classical Music, Contemporary, Montreal, Piano, Strings

To cellist Noémie Raymond-Friset, music is just as much about heart as it is about technique. For her, the cello is a means of forging profound connections—with collaborators, audiences, and even communities worlds away. Born to music-loving parents who filled her early life with the sounds of Bach suites, Raymond-Friset picked up the violin at the age of four. But it was the cello that resonated with her three years later. “I found my instrument,” she recalls. “Something about the tone, the sound, and the register really spoke to me.” In her early career, mentors like violinist superstars Midori and…

Anri Sala. Photo: MMFA, Sébastien Roy

To Ravel and Unravel Maurice Ravel at MMFA

By Viktor Lazarov on 23 December 2024 La Scena Online, La Scena Spotlight, Montreal, Piano, Visual Arts

What links French Impressionist composer Maurice Ravel with the Venice Biennale and American minimalist composer Steve Reich? Their association might seem tenuous, but they are intriguingly brought together in French-Albanian artist Anri Sala’s work Ravel Ravel Interval, currently exhibited at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA). La Scena Musicale interviewed Assistant Curator of International Modern and Contemporary Art, Alexandrine Théorêt, to help us untangle the knots in this singular work. Acquired by patron Pierre Bourgie and pledged to the MMFA, Ravel Ravel Interval commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Maurice Ravel (1875–1937). The 2024–2025 season also marks the…

Chor Leoni. Photo: Emily Cooper

Review | Christmas with Chor Leoni Brings Holiday Magic to the Heart of Vancouver

By Kaitlyn Chan on 20 December 2024 Choral, Classical Music, Concert Reviews, Piano, Strings, Vancouver, Violin, Vocal

Amidst the bustle of the holiday season, Chor Leoni ushered audience members into the serene atmosphere of St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church for their annual Christmas concert on Dec 19. The space was lit with reds, blues, and purples while golden lanterns hung from the ceiling. The beauty of the church was highlighted under this unique lighting, creating an almost fantasy effect within the large arches. Lighting designer Keagan Elrick had set the stage for the magical evening welcoming Chor Leoni’s largest-ever opening night audience. The first song of the evening was “The Long Night” arranged by founding member, Artistic Director,…

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