Lucky 13th edition
for Festival de la Voix
Month-long human voice celebration with concerts across Montreal’s West Island
By Irwin Rapoport
March 31, 2026
Festival de la Voix marks its lucky 13th edition this month with a full program of concerts and workshops celebrating the power of the human voice. Running April 4 to 28, 2026, the festival brings more than 50 musicians and vocalists to venues across Montreal’s West Island, from Dorval and Pointe-Claire to Beaconsfield, Lachine and Ste-Geneviève, culminating in a closing jazz concert with the Chad Linsley Trio at Centre Eaton’s Art Deco space Le 9e.
Running April 4 to 28, 2026, the festival brings more than 50 musicians and vocalists to venues across Montreal’s West Island.
Presented by the non-profit Vox Aeterna, the 10 eclectic concerts and events feature choirs, big-band jazz, Celtic and folk music, Indigenous songs, classical works, singer-songwriters, family sing-alongs, and hands-on workshops for all ages.
“For this lucky 13th edition of the festival, each artist and every ensemble will share their exquisite, creative talents in an intricate balance of musical genres—from Baroque through folk, to Brel, Barbara and big band,” says Festival Artistic Director Kerry-Anne Kutz. “Every concert and workshop is an unforgettable experience for all music lovers, which enriches our audiences, fosters a deep connection through music, and perpetuates a sense of belonging and well-being.”
Festival de la Voix • Persuasion
Festival highlights
Here are some of this year’s program highlights; consult the festival website for the full schedule and venues.
Voices of Vision with Jason Lang, Viv Kalo, Sionna Ellison and Taurey Butler at St. Columba-by-the-Lake Church on Saturday, April 4, 7 pm.
Linda Morrison in Concert – original songs and Celtic favourites on Saturday, April 11, 2 pm.
Dynamic musicians of Persuasion perform Carlos Santana – a high-energy Santana tribute on Saturday, April 11, 8 pm.
Choral morning with Vincent-d’Indy School of Music High School Music-Study Choir, followed by soprano Myriam Leblanc and Trio Mirabilia with a program from Vivaldi to Barbara on Sunday, April 12.
Festival de la Voix • Aleksi Campagne
Sing, Sing, Sing! (children’s concert and sing-along for ages 1–6) and “Percussion Players Wanted!” (workshop with djembes, guiros, shakers, tambourines, bongos and more) with Craig Girardin for ages 7–12 and adults on Saturday, April 4.
Nikamu Mamuitun 2 (Songs That Unite Us) – ten First Nations and Québecois emerging singer-songwriters-instrumentalists in collaboration with La Salle Pauline-Julien, celebrating cultural encounter and artistic connection on Friday, April 24, 8 pm.
Free concert with award-winning singer-songwriter, violinist, guitarist and pianist Aleksi Campagne, son of respected musicians Connie Kaldor and Paul Campagne (Hart Rouge), on April 23.
Festival de la Voix 18-piece Big Band led by Ron Di Lauro and starring the consummate Lady of Jazz Ranee Lee, on Saturday, April 25 at 2 pm at Centre communautaire Sarto-Desnoyers.
Festival de la Voix • Ranee Lee
The Chad Linsley Trio closing concert – with trumpeter Mike Cartile and singers Kristin Hoff and Kerry-Anne Kutz on Tuesday, April 28 at 5 pm at Le 9e, the Art Deco venue atop the Eaton Centre in downtown Montreal.
Alongside public concerts, Festival de la Voix presents events for elementary and secondary students, this year featuring Musiquemosaïque and the 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron Concert Band, helping young audiences experience live music up close.
Conversation with the artists
In the Q&A below, Artistic Director and singer Kerry-Anne Kutz, Celtic music mainstay Linda Morrison and jazz pianist Chad Linsley speak about their love of music, their careers and what the festival means to them.
Building a festival around local voices– Kerry-Anne Kutz
WM: The festival has been growing in popularity over the years in terms of the local musicians who welcome the chance to perform and the audiences who look forward to enjoying a variety of musical styles. What factors do you attribute the success of the festival and do you see it expanding to areas outside of the West Island?
Kutz: I believe many music aficionados follow local musicians closely and are committed to getting out to hear them whenever they perform. As the Festival’s artistic director, I myself hold a deep interest in our local artists, be they classical, jazz, choral, pop, traditional or folk musicians. Not only are these performers very fine singers and instrumentalists, but they also perform material that is truly worthwhile hearing and seeing.
This year we’re very excited to present a concert at the 9e, top of the Eatons Centre in collaboration with Opéra M3F featuring one of Canada’s finest jazz pianists, Chad Linsley and his trio with special guests Mike Cartile, trumpet player, Kristin Hoff and me as vocalists.
We’ve also presented concerts in Westmount and in Hudson, and hope to be back in Hudson next year. We always enjoy collaborating with any community in Quebec.
Festival de la Voix • Kerry-Ann Kutz
WM: How did you select the performers and bands for this year’s festival, and do you have anyone in mind for next year?
Kutz: My first criterion is the beauty of an artist’s voice, no matter the genre. Soprano Myriam Leblanc has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard, and I want everyone to hear her. Ranee Lee is a truly exceptional jazz interpreter. Not only does she have fabulous sound, but she phrases with great sensitivity, and she colours every word. It’s so exciting to experience this kind of musicianship. And I must mention Aleksi Campagne, singer-songwriter-violinist and more. This voice will leave you breathless.
‘This year we’re very excited to present a concert at the 9e, top of the Eatons Centre in collaboration with Opéra M3F featuring one of Canada’s finest jazz pianists’
Every vocal ensemble singing in the Festival this year, the 3 vocal quartets (Quartom, Musaïque and the Montreal Vocal Jazz Quartet), who’ll be singing the wonderful arrangements of Simon Leclerc or the Studio de la musique ancienne premiering a work by Cree composer Andrew Balfour, renders every piece a work of art with their outstanding voices, beautiful phrasing and flawless intonation.
I have selected almost the entire lineup for next year as our first grant application is due at the end of April.
WM: Why is it important to promote talented local singers and musicians, and how has the festival been helping their careers and increasing opportunities for them to perform throughout the year?
Kutz: Our local professional vocalists and instrumentalists compete with artists from all over North America and elsewhere on many platforms. In order for artists to develop their craft, they have to have audiences to play to. By getting out to hear our local artists we allow them to share their work at a grassroots level, to share their unique talent, and to earn a living. The musicians we present have a great deal of artistic integrity, which in my opinion is not always the case when it comes to more commercial music.
Festival de la Voix has served as a springboard for many emerging local artists who go on to perform at other festivals and concert series, including the Festival international de jazz and Osheaga.
WM: In addition to your role as the artistic director, you are also performing in the festival as a singer. What do you enjoy about singing? How long have you been performing, and what styles of music do you like?
Kutz: I had the tremendous opportunity to study piano from the age of 5, later percussion and then voice at university. My dad was a professional musician, as is my brother, and music was an integral part of our family life.
I enjoy the study of music, be it an aria by Bach, a Canadian classical composer, Shirley Eikhard or Joni Mitchell. My husband, trumpet player Mike Cartile, and I have just finished recording a CD of my original songs along with some Michel Legrand, which will be released on May 24.
As well, at the moment I’m pursuing three musical passions: performing with my beloved female vocal quartet Musaïque, recording Canadian art song and writing music and performing for children. I have always loved sharing wonderful music of all genres with my audiences, and thanks to my ten years as a member of the RCMP Band I had the opportunity to sing opera, jazz and pop in every concert throughout Canada and all around the world.
Celtic traditions and mentorship – Linda Morrison
WM: You have been a stalwart of the local Celtic music scene for many years and audiences look forward to seeing you in concert, be it solo, with choirs, or fellow musicians. How have you grown as a singer, songwriter, and mentor?
Festival de la Voix • Linda Morrison
Morrison: I’ve sung in different languages and written in different musical styles, and maybe that has helped me evolve as a singer with more experience, open-mindedness and conviction. I love listening to what contemporary artists have to say. Still, perhaps it’s the traditional singers from around the world that have inspired me the most… there’s so much diversity and possibility.
For example, singers from Scotland, Lebanon, Georgia, and Mauritania have opened my mind to the possibilities of vocal expression and the importance of telling a story. Becoming aware of all of their very different perspectives has helped me grow as a singer. As for songs from the Celtic traditions, I find the languages beautiful, complex and full of philosophy. Learning and singing in those languages can really give you a new way of seeing the world around you.
I’m thrilled if I’ve become a mentor. If that’s true, maybe it’s because I’ve encouraged lots of people to learn Scottish Gaelic and enabled choirs to discover some of the beauty waiting for them in the Celtic cultures. But there are so many amazing sounds to explore around this whole world, and we’re so lucky to have the universal language of music to bring us all together.
From rural Saskatchewan to Montreal jazz – Chad Linsley
WM: The Chad Linsley Trio is closing out the festival on April 28 at the Centre Eaton’s beautiful Art Deco space Le 9e with a jazz concert. That is quite an honour. What drew you to the piano and jazz, and how have your skills and range of playing improved over the years?
Festival de la Voix • Chad Linsley
Linsley: Growing up in rural Saskatchewan, my father loved to play the piano and had a collection of old vinyl records of jazz classics. He would also take me to the Saskatoon Jazz Festival to hear artists like Jay McShann, George Shearing, Oscar Peterson, J. J. Johnson, and Christian McBride.
I was very fortunate to have had a strong band program at my school, regular piano lessons, and attend summer music camps, which introduced me to Kevin Dean and André White from McGill University’s music faculty. With some friends I had met at camp, I would travel to Moose Jaw on weekends to play sessions and gigs.
Since moving to Montreal in 1998, I’ve made some lifelong musical and personal friendships with artists such as Ranee Lee, Dawn Tyler Watson, Lorraine Klaasen, Sienna Dahlen, Sophie Day, Natalie Choquette, Mike Rud, Adrian Vedady, Dave Laing, Al McLean, Philippe Bourque, Tom Plaunt, and Iwan Edwards.
WM: How was the Trio formed, and how long have you been playing together? What are the key elements to honing your performances, and how has bringing in others to play with you enhanced your verve and passions?
Linsley: I have known and worked with drummer Rich Irwin for many years, one of Montreal’s finest drummers. In 2023, we recorded an album with the Tim Nolan Trio with Marco Vezina. Last year, I met bassist Devon Gillingham while playing a show with Rich and Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Jennifer Gasoi.
‘This April series offers a rare chance to hear outstanding vocalists up close and to support the local artists who keep our musical community thriving.’
I’m very excited to share the swinging, joyful energy they bring to the stage. Kristin Hoff and Kerry-Anne Kutz are both incredibly versatile singers and visionaries to the Montreal arts community. Kerry-Anne was a close collaborator of my very first piano teacher back in Saskatchewan, Angie Tysseland. We have enjoyed many years working together, along with her husband, Michael Cartile, a brilliant trumpet player. I’m also looking forward to playing for her upcoming album launch in May!
WM: The piano has been an integral element of many jazz ensembles. Who are some composers and pianists that have influenced you?
Linsley: Oscar Peterson is the reason I began playing jazz and chose Montreal as my home. I was very lucky to have one of Oscar’s protégés, pianist Wray Downes, for a teacher while at McGill. Pianist Alan Broadbent’s influence points me in the direction of Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck, Bud Powell, and even Gustav Mahler!
I also love the work of Venezuelan pianist Edward Simon. Finally, my wife Marie-Claire Saindon, a composer of exquisite choral music, is a constant influence, and I’m both humbled and honoured to have a front row seat as she creates.
With concerts in neighbourhood churches, community centres and a landmark downtown venue, this year’s Festival de la Voix offers a rare chance to hear outstanding vocalists up close and to support the local artists who keep our musical community thriving.
Images courtesy of Festival de la Voix
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