Bourgie Hall unveils its
new 2023-2024 season

This 13th season promises to be more surprising and captivating than ever!

May 22, 2023

Bourgie Hall unveils its 13th season on May 9, the very first crafted by its new directors, Artistic Director Olivier Godin and Executive Director Caroline Louis.

Located at the heart of a vast museum complex and endowed with exceptional acoustics, Bourgie Hall has been offering music lovers remarkable encounters with artists of international calibre for 13 seasons. In keeping with previous seasons that have contributed to the reputation of this concert hall popular among music lovers, but also with a strong desire to blaze new trails, the programming for 2023-2024 is intended to be unifying and aligned with today’s musical world.

The programming for 2023-2024 is intended to be unifying and aligned with today’s musical world.

This new season stands out thanks to its wide range of concerts and events pertaining to various musical traditions. Featuring exciting projects as well as several new initiatives, the next season will showcase in Montreal performers acclaimed on the international music scene as well as rising stars.

Olivier Godin and Caroline Louis express their delight at unveiling this programming crafted by their four-handed management: “For Bourgie Hall’s 13th season, we reveal how we envisage the next few years.

The piano occupies a prominent place, while, given the hall’s particular suitability for vocal music, special importance will be accorded to these concerts. We will also place particular emphasis on new works and contemporary repertoire, with Rachel Laurin becoming Bourgie Hall’s first composer-in-residence.

A tribute to great names

Tribute will additionally be paid to several luminaries of the repertoire, such as Ligeti, Théodore Dubois, Maria Callas, Rachmaninoff and Oscar Peterson. Furthermore, the jazz and music of diverse cultures series will be further developed in the coming years, with special projects and distinguished guests.”

Rich and varied, with high-calibre recitals and artists from diverse backgrounds who reflect the community of which it is a part, this season will be composed of nearly 100 concerts presented by Bourgie Hall, with 50% of its programming including Quebec or Canadian artists.

Furthermore, six concerts will echo two Museum exhibitions this fall: Marisol: A Retrospective as well as one featuring the work of Françoise Sullivan, a major Quebec artist. To this must be added more than 66 concerts by guest presenters.

Two new initiatives for the next generation

Bourgie Hall believes in the importance of supporting the next generation, and so two new initiatives have been implemented in collaboration with post-secondary institutions. First, there is a series of public master classes given by international artists invited by Bourgie Hall who will advise advanced students.

A mentorship program will allow promising young talents to benefit from private lessons and personalized meetings; these artists will also have the opportunity to perform in pre-concert performances at Bourgie Hall.

Our educational activities also include a study day revisiting Fauré’s legacy, the 100th anniversary of whose death is being commemorated this year, which will take place on April 12, 2024, free of charge and open to the public.

PRESTIGIOUS NAMES AT BOURGIE HALL

Among the prestigious soloists performing at Bourgie Hall next season are clarinetist Andreas Ottensamer, pianists Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Christian Blackshaw, Charles Richard-Hamelin, Igor Levit, who makes his first appearance in Montreal, Isata Kanneh-Mason, Bruce Liu and Víkingur Ólafsson; fortepianist Jean Rondeau; mandolinist Avi Avital; trumpet player Sergei Nakariakov; violinist Daniel Hope; singers Gordon Bintner, Karina Gauvin, Wolfgang Holzmair, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, François Le Roux, Ema Nikolovska and Davóne Tines; as well as conductors Jonathan Cohen and Anthony Marwood.

As for chamber music ensembles, Bourgie Hall will welcome the Dover Quartet, Ligeti Quartet, Trio Wanderer, Faust-Queyras-Melnikov Trio, as well as the Musicians from Marlboro.

Finally, Bourgie will have the pleasure of welcoming several Baroque ensembles: Théotime Langlois de Swarte and Le Consort, Le Poème harmonique, Gothic Voices as well as the Alia Mens ensemble.

Vocal Recital

Bourgie Hall’s intimate atmosphere is ideally suited for vocal recitals. This year, the hall will welcome outstanding lyric artists who will dazzle the public with their voices and exceptional performances during 13 outstanding recitals.

Marc Boucher, baritone and Olivier Godin, piano
October 11, 2023

Davóne Tines, bass-baritone and John Bitoy, piano
October 15, 2023

Gordon Bintner, bass-baritone and Michael McMahon, piano
November 10, 2023

Tribute to Maria Callas with Aline Kutan, soprano and Richard Turp, lecturer
December 2, 2023

Jack Swanson, tenor and John Arida, piano
December 8, 2023

Rose Naggar-Tremblay, contralto and Julien LeBlanc, piano
December 13, 2023

Wolfgang Holzmair, baritone and Olivier Godin, piano
January 27, 2024

Ihor Mostovoi, baritone and Serhiy Salov, piano
February 17, 2024

Cyrille Dubois, tenor and Tristan Raës, piano
March 15, 2024

Ema Nikolovska, mezzo-soprano and Charles Richard-Hamelin, piano
March 20, 2024

François Le Roux, baritone and musicians of the Orchestre Métropolitain
April 18, 2024

Marie-Nicole Lemieux, contralto and Karina Gauvin, soprano
April 19, 2024

Myriam Leblanc, soprano and Romain Pollet, piano
May 15, 2024

Outstanding pianists

Pianists renowned worldwide for their immense talent and great musicality present 18 exceptional recitals: Isata Kanneh-Mason (October 10); David Greilsammer (October 26); Sandra Murray and Claire Ouellet (November 1); Christian Blackshaw (November 2); Pierre-Laurent Aimard (November 5); Llŷr Williams (November 7); Jean Rondeau (November 15) and Anders Muskens (November 26) on the fortepiano; Louise Bessette and Corey Hamm (December 6); Momo and Mari Kodama (December 10); Víkingur Ólafsson (January 24); Igor Levit (March 11); Illia Ovcharenko and Alexander Kashpurin (April 6 and 7); Charles Richard-Hamelin and Eric Lu (April 10); Michelle Cann (April 16); André Laplante (April 27); and Bruce Liu (May 14).

Early Music

The Baroque era is filled with musical treasures, and over the years this musical style has made Bourgie Hall’s reputation. Performed primarily on period instruments, these concerts celebrate the variety and opulent sounds of early music.

In addition to certain Les Violons du Roy’s concerts mentioned below, here are the other Baroque concerts of the 2023-2024 season:

Le Poème harmonique
October 28, 2023

I Gemelli Ensemble
November 22, 2023

Gothic Voices
December 14, 2023

Arion Baroque Orchestra
December 17, 2023

Víkingur Ólafsson
January 24, 2024

Ensemble Caprice
January 28, 2024

Théotime Langlois de Swarte and Le Consort
February 21, 2024

Les Idées heureuses
March 29, 2024

Ana Vidović
April 9, 2024

Daniel Hope
April 23, 2024

Rachel Laurin in residence

As the first composer-in-residence at Bourgie Hall, several of Rachel Laurin‘s works will be featured in four concerts.

The world premiere of the cycle Chant pour un Québec lointain with baritone Marc Boucher and pianist Olivier Godin
October 11, 2023

Celebrating Women Composers with the Quatuor Cobalt
November 8, 2023

The String Quartet, from the Refus global to Today with the Molinari Quartet
January 25, 2024

Tribute to Rachel Laurin
February 18, 2024

Ligeti Festival

To mark the 100th anniversary of György Ligeti’s birth, on November 4 and 5 Bourgie Hall is presenting the Ligeti Festival  l comprising concerts, a conference, and film screenings, with acclaimed pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard as the guest of honour.

Other guest artists include the Ligeti Quartet as well as an ensemble composed of musicians from the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, conducted by Jean-Michaël Lavoie.

In conjunction with this programming, three films by the celebrated director Stanley Kubrick, the soundtracks of which include excerpts of this Hungarian master’s music, will be shown at the Cinéma du Musée.

Contemporary Music

In addition to the aforementioned concerts in tribute to Rachel Laurin and the Ligeti Festival, several other concerts highlight new musical works:

Ensemble Variances and Paramirabo
Works by Missy Mazzoli, Thierry Pécou, Cassandra Miller and Steve Reich
October 24, 2023

The Women Who Leave
World premiere of a song cycle composed by Luna Pearl Woolf on poems written by Rose Naggar-Tremblay
December 13, 2023

Imani Winds : Black and Brown
A concert highlighting contemporary works inspired by jazz and Latin American music
February 1, 2024

Missy Mazzoli, composition and Jennifer Koh, violin
February 28, 2024

Opéra of today
Three contemporary creations by three women composers, in collaboration with Musique 3 Femmes and Le Vivier
May 30, 2024

Tributes

New for this year, the Tributes series celebrates several outstanding musical figures: Gabriel Fauré and Théodore Dubois, who both died in 1924, Sergei Rachmaninoff (born 150 years ago) as well as György Ligeti and Maria Callas, both born in 1923.

The internationally-renowned, Montreal-born jazz icon Oscar Peterson, the great Quebec visual artist Françoise Sullivan as well as two major figures of the Quebec musical scene, conductors Raffi Armenian and Agnes Grossmann, will also be honoured in 2023-2024.

Chamber Music

Chamber music, whether for duos, trios, quartets or small ensembles, occupies pride of place at Bourgie Hall. Among numerous unmissable events are the following:

Dover String Quartet
September 27, 2023, as the opening concert

Nakariakov-Kashimoto-Meerovich Trio
October 16, 2023

Musicians from Marlboro
December 5, 2023

Molinari Quartet
January 25, 2024

Apollon Musagète Quartet
February 6, 2024

Stéphane Tétreault, cello and Olivier Hébert-Bouchard, piano
February 8, 2024

Faust-Queyras-Melnikov Trio
February 12, 2024

Lluís Claret and Sandra Murray
March 6, 2024

Trio Wanderer
April 24, 2024

Jazz 5 à 7

Starting at 5 pm, Bourgie Hall’s bar will be open for six 5 à 7 jazz on Thursdays at 6 pm.

The innovative sextet Turboprop
October 5, 2023

Two Jazz Pianos with Jean-Michel Pilc and Rafael Zaldivar
December 7, 2023

A Charlie Brown Christmas: the return of this holiday classic!
December 20 and 21, 2023

André Leroux and Friends
February 22, 2024

Tribute to Oscar Peterson with the Taurey Butler Trio
March 14, 2024

The Scale of Time with Yves Léveillé and his musicians
May 16, 2024

Projects connected to current concerns

Wishing to anchor itself in the society that surrounds it and with a concern for greater inclusivity, Bourgie Hall will present various thought-provoking projects that reflect current concerns.

On September 30, a concert in conjunction with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as well as the Journées de la culture will highlight three Indigenous women: Innu poet Maya Cousineau Mollen, Anishinaabe composer Barbara Assiginaak and Innu soprano Elisabeth St-Gelais.

On January 27, to commemorate UNESCO’s International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, baritone Wolfgang Holzmair will offer a recital titled Music at Theresienstadt. The recital will be preceded by a lecture on January 23.

On February 17, pianist Serhiy Salov and baritone Ihor Mostovoi will present a concert in homage to the people of Ukraine (With Ukraine!). It will include the world premiere of Letters from the Frontline by Evan Mack based on poems written by Ukrainian soldiers in the line of battle.

On April 2, the concert Iranian Women: A Wind of Freedom will be given in support of the women of this Middle Eastern country.

Concerts in connection with the Museum exhibitions

A world-class concert hall in a museum provides an exceptional opportunity to work closely with the MMFA to develop a rich programming of multidisciplinary activities. This unique positioning opens up unsuspected creative possibilities, exploring innovative links between various art forms.

In 2023-2024, six concerts in connection with two exhibitions at the museum will be presented:

Exhibition Marisol: A Retrospective, presented at the MMFA from October 7, 2023 to January 21, 2024)

• Soraya Benitez: Sin frontera (October 25)
• Quatuor Cobalt: Celebrating Women Composers (November 8)
• Les Rugissants: Marisol/Fragments (November 29)
• The Women Who Leave (December 13)

Exhibition on Françoise Sullivan, a major Québec artist who celebrates her 100th birthday this year (presented at the MMFA from October 31, 2023 to February 18, 2024)

• Tribute to Françoise Sullivan (January 21)
• The String Quartet: From Refus global to Foday with the Molinari Quartet (January 25)

Les Violons du Roy

A presence at Bourgie Hall since its opening, Les Violons du Roy are back for a 13th season! This ensemble offers Montreal audiences 7 memorable concerts.

• The Essence of Strings (October 20): Anthony Marwood, violin and conductor
• The Devil’s Labyrinth (November 3): Nicolas Ellis, conductor, and Kerson Leong, violin
• French Romance (January 19): Nicolas Ellis, conductor, Florie Valiquette, soprano and David Jalbert, piano
• Mozart and Haydn, Winds and Harp (February 2): Jonathan Cohen, conductor and Valérie Milot, harp
• Bach, Handel and the Concertante Organ (March 1): Nicolas Ellis, conductor and Isabelle Demers, organ
• The Guitar of Miloš (April 26): Jonathan Cohen (conductor) et Miloš (guitar)
• Fantastic Dreams (June 7): Nicolas Ellis, conductor, and Andréanne Brisson Paquin, soprano

Musicians of the OSM

The Musicians of the OSM, who have enchanted audiences since Bourgie Hall opened, are back for 4 unmissable musical encounters.

• A Festival of Brass: works by Michael Tilson Thomas, Fernando Morais, Lauren Bernofsky, Bernstein and Piazzolla (September 29)
• An Out-of-the-Ordinary Octet: with the OSM’s double bass section (February 16)
• An Evening with Fauré (April 5)
• At the Heart of the String Quartet: works by Jessie Montgomery, Philip Glass and Kelly-Marie Murphy (May 24)

Musicians of the OM

The Musicians of the OSM, who have enchanted audiences since Bourgie Hall opened, are back for 4 unmissable musical encounters.

• A Festival of Brass: works by Michael Tilson Thomas, Fernando Morais, Lauren Bernofsky, Bernstein and Piazzolla (September 29)
• An Out-of-the-Ordinary Octet: with the OSM’s double bass section (February 16)
• An Evening with Fauré (April 5)
• At the Heart of the String Quartet: works by Jessie Montgomery, Philip Glass and Kelly-Marie Murphy (May 24)

Family concerts with Barbada and the Orchestre Métropolitain

Initiated by Bourgie Hall, three events are offered to families in 2023-2024 with the fabulous Barbada de Barbades and the Orchestre Métropolitain! “Once upon three times…”, three musical tales written and staged by François Racine and narrated by the colourful drag artist on November 12, April 14 and June 2 to a soundtrack created by musicians of the OM.

Music of global cultures

In 2023-2024, several musical ensembles, representing the wide variety of music from global cultures from five continents, will be visiting Bourgie Hall.

• The Kleztory Ensemble offers a concert of Eastern European music (September 21).
• Soraya Benitez presents a concert with Venezuelan accents titled Sin frontera (October 25).
• Liu Fang, pipa and guzheng, and Liu Xiyan, guqin: a concert to usher in the Lunar New Year (February 10).
• Didem Başar, on the kanun, presents Continuum, a concert that evokes both Turkish musical traditions and Western sounds (February 13).
• Iranian Women: A Wind of Freedom with soprano Bahar Harandi pays tribute to the courage and resilience of the women of this Middle Eastern country (April 2).
• The exceptional cellist Abel Selaocoe and the Manchester Collective present Sirocco, pushing the boundaries of his instrument and weaving together Western and non-Western traditions (April 4).
• Violinist Daniel Hope presents The Soul of Ireland, which captures Ireland’s rich musical heritage from the Renaissance to the present day (April 23).

Arts crossroads

This season, five events combine music and other art forms, whether they be dance, literature, visual arts, or cinema:

• Music and dance: Tribute to Françoise Sullivan (January 21)
• Music and literature: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30) and Even If I Lose Everything (May 25)
• Music and cinema: Right in the Eye (March 17)
• Music and visual arts: lecture by François Filiatrault (in French) on various masterpieces from the MMFA’s Hornstein collection (April 3)

Grand cycle of Schubert’s lieder

Bourgie Hall is also delighted to announce a vast undertaking: an immense cycle of Schubert’s lieder, beginning during the 2024-2025 season and which will mark in 2028 the 200th anniversary of his death.

In order to make concerts accessible to a wider audience, various attractive subscription packages (series and à la carte subscriptions) ensure that ticket prices remain affordable. As usual, MMFA members enjoy a 15% discount on the General Public rate at all times. For concertgoers 34 years old and younger, a 50% discount on the General Public rate and last-minute tickets at the cost of $10 (subject to availability) are offered.

All details of the 2023-2024 season are available online at bourgiehall.ca.

BOX OFFICE

Three simple ways to purchase tickets

ONLINE: bourgiehall.ca
BY PHONE: 514 285-2000, option 1, or 1 800 899-6873
IN PERSON at the MMFA box office (during opening hours)
and at Bourgie Hall (one hour prior to the concerts)

Numerous affordable subscription packages are also available.

Images: Courtesy of Bourgie Hall

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