This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
Montreal, May 30, 2022 – The President of Arte Musica and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’ Boards of Trustees, Pierre Bourgie, is pleased to announce the nomination of Caroline Louis as General Director and Olivier Godin as Artistic Director of Bourgie Hall. They succeed General and Artistic Director Isolde Lagacé, who has held this position since the opening of the hall in 2011 and who announced her retirement in January. They will take up their positions in mid-June. Both actively involved in the Montreal and Quebec music scenes, there is no doubt that Caroline Louis and Olivier Godin will form the perfect duo to guide this institution to new artistic heights.
After several decades devoted to promoting concert music in Montreal within several artistic organizations, Isolde Lagacé affirms: “It is with a glad and contented heart that I welcome the unparalleled administrator Caroline Louis and the outstanding musician Olivier Godin in their new respective roles as Bourgie Hall’s General Director and Artistic Director! I am absolutely thrilled to pass the torch to these two individuals who, I am certain, will carry on Bourgie Hall’s mission with a sense of continuity to ensure that this venue, much appreciated by music-lovers, will live on for many years to come.”
Pierre Bourgie views this changing of the guard with the utmost optimism: “During this critical period when the artistic and musical milieus face considerable challenges, I am delighted to welcome Caroline Louis and Olivier Godin to the helm of Bourgie Hall. I am confident that these two seasoned administrators and musicians will carry out with aplomb their mandate to ensure Bourgie Hall’s standing and development. I would like to sincerely thank Isolde Lagacé for all these years of unfailing commitment: thanks to her vision and hard work, Bourgie Hall is now positioned as a cornerstone of concert music in Quebec and Canada.”
Caroline Louis and Olivier Godin envision the future with enthusiasm: “Buoyed by the trust placed in us, we begin our mandates as General Director and Artistic Director of Bourgie Hall in a spirit of continuity, reinforced by an optimistic and enthusiastic vision of the performing arts. This venue provides a magnificent setting, and its national and international reputation allows it to promote highly talented Quebec musicians and to welcome artists originating from diverse cultures and horizons from around the globe. Our four-handed leadership will allow us to pursue and strengthen the association between Bourgie Hall and the MMFA, all the while bringing concert music, the visual arts, and education to the forefront. We are thrilled to embark on this collaboration in order to carry forward this acclaimed Montreal institution, envisioned by Pierre Bourgie and brought to the highest levels by Isolde Lagacé and her team.”
Bourgie Hall’s team extends a warm welcome to Caroline and Olivier, and wishes to express its utmost gratitude to Isolde Lagacé for her remarkable accomplishments at the head of this institution; we hope that she will enjoy a well-deserved retirement. Ms. Lagacé will remain in office until November 15 in order to ensure a smooth transition.
Biography – Caroline Louis
Headshot of Caroline Louis (image courtesy of David Ospina)
An experienced administrator and musician who demonstrates an innate sense of leadership and possesses strong capacities for innovation and adaptation, Caroline Louis has been active in the Montreal music scene for many years. Until recently Director – Education at the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, she has accumulated over twelve years of experience at this institution, where she distinguished herself with her broad overall vision and her keen understanding of the possible contributions a cultural organization may make to its community. Having first joined the orchestra’s marketing team, she later served as a member of the artistic team, working closely with music director Kent Nagano, and most recently with his successor, Rafael Payare.
Caroline Louis was given the opportunity to devise and carry out the realization of numerous concerts and musical projects forming part of the OSM’s educational and community mission. She has worked on both the development of young audiences and on initiatives in support of emerging performers and composers. She has collaborated with numerous educational institutions and cultural organizations, and was involved in several multidisciplinary projects. Having managed the OSM Competition for several years, she had the opportunity to develop solid relationships with distinguished musical personalities as well as the leadership of international institutions (BBC Proms, Philharmonie de Paris, Vienna Konzerthaus, Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, Aspen Music Festival, etc.). She holds a keen interest in business strategy in the cultural sector, having taken part in the OSM’s strategic planning exercises. She is particularly drawn to social innovation as well as emerging trends in the artistic and musical communities. Her experience over the past years has enabled her to develop a compelling vision regarding practices for cultural mediation and audience inclusion.
Caroline Louis was a board member of the Conseil québécois de la musique and is a member of the advisory committee of the Université de Montréal’s Music Faculty. She is also involved in working groups in Montreal’s cultural sector and the Canadian orchestral network. Having obtained a master’s degree in musicology from the Université de Montréal as well as a graduate diploma in music performance (piano) from Concordia University, Caroline Louis will complete an MBA at HEC Montreal this summer.
Biography – Olivier Godin
Headshot of Olivier Godin (image courtesy of Chloé Bergeron)
Pianist, conductor and organist Olivier Godin leads a brilliant career as a soloist, chamber musician and pedagogue in Canada and abroad. In concert and in recordings, he has collaborated with prestigious artists such as Michel Béroff, Isabel Karajan, Frédéric Antoun, Marc Boucher, Julie Boulianne, Gordon Bintner, Russell Braun, Donna Brown, Julie Fuchs, Karina Gauvin, Wolfgang Holzmair, Aline Kutan, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, François Le Roux, Michèle Losier, Louise Pellerin, Myriam Farid, and Stéphane Tétreault. He has performed in numerous Canadian festivals (Lanaudière, Domaine Forget, Orford, Parry Sound, Sainte-Pétronille, the OSM’s Classical Spree, Classica) and internationally (Palazzetto Bru Zane in Venice, Wigmore Hall in London, Mexico Lieder Fest in Monterrey, Académie Francis Poulenc in Tours, Festival international Albert-Roussel in Lille, Atelier Lyrique de Tourcoing, Johannes-Wasmuth Gesellschaft in Bonn, La Monnaie in Brussels, Lille and Montpellier operas, Source Song Festival in Minneapolis).
He has prepared countless concerts and opera productions under renowned conductors such as Raffi Armenian, Franz-Paul Decker, Charles Dutoit, Agnès Grossman, Jacques Lacombe, Simon Leclerc, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Olivier Godin has recorded over 30 CDs which have garnered international critical acclaim, including the complete mélodies of Poulenc, Fauré, Duparc, and Dutilleux, a CD of mélodies and piano works by Jolivet, Rachmaninov’s complete works for two pianos, Brahms’ Liebeslieder Walzer, and a solo recording of Émilie Pessard’s piano works (world premiere). He is currently recording Jules Massenet’s entire output of 337 mélodies, many of which remain unpublished, with 18 singers for ATMA Classique. He has given masterclasses for singers and pianists in Canada, the United States, Mexico, France, and Sweden. Appointed as professor at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal at the age of 25, Olivier Godin was in charge of that institution’s Opera Studio for almost 15 years and has taught there for 20 years. He also worked at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music as vocal coach and instructor of French lyric diction. He participates in numerous summer academies as vocal coach and vocal collaborative piano teacher. He co-founded in 2017 the Lachine International Vocal Academy with his colleague Richard Turp.
About Bourgie Hall
Inaugurated in September 2011, Bourgie Hall is a 462-seat concert hall at the heart of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Possessing exceptional acoustics, it has quickly made a name for itself as one of Canada’s most beloved venues for concert music. Located in the nave of the former Erskine and American Church, its spectacular architecture includes a collection of twenty Tiffany stained glass windows that is unique in the country. Bourgie Hall presents over a hundred concerts a year in various musical styles, ranging from jazz to classical works, from Baroque music to contemporary creations. Its high-calibre programming features some of the most prominent Canadian and international musicians of their generation, whether they be at the beginning of their careers or already well established. bourgiehall.ca
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
