Open air, compelling sound
at Festival de Lanaudière

Embrace the beauty of classical music on a stage surrounded by nature, under the sun or under the stars

During its 42nd edition, Festival de Lanaudière will introduce you to the young prodigy Seong-Jin Cho and a duo of brother pianists, offer you Canadian, American and Dutch ensembles, as well as a tribute to two jazz legends and a piece delivered for the very first time here.

A Quebec Premiere by Philip Glass

Friday, July 19, festival-goers will have the opportunity to hear the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra in a performance of Philip Glass’ Third Piano Concerto written for Simone Dinnerstein, with the dedicatee herself performing for the first time in Quebec. To complete the programme: works by Vivian Fung and Antonín Dvorák.

Tribute to “Count” Basie

Saturday, July 20, the Orchestre national de Jazz de Montréal will be back in Lanaudière for the seventh consecutive summer, this time with their tribute to William “Count” Basie, one of the 20th century’s leading figures of jazz. The ensemble will also celebrate Michel Legrand, who passed away earlier this year.

Hidden Treasures

Sunday, July 21, the Dutch wind quintet Calefax will make its Canadian debut at the Festival. They offer the public at Lanaudière a selection of works that range from virtuoso Baroque pieces to the jazzy sonorities of Debussy and Gershwin.

The return of
Kristian Bezuidenhout

Tuesday, July 23, fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout presents a recital at Église de Saint-Paul-de-Joliette.

On the heels of a recording released just this year, the music of the Father of Classicism, Joseph Haydn, takes centre stage, with works by Mozart to round out the programme.

Charles Richard-Hamelin
in recital

Wednesday, July 24, pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin is back to perform for his Lanaudière public in an intimate setting at Église de Lavaltrie. On the evening’s programme are Debussy’s Images (oubliées), Mendelssohn’s Fantasy in F-sharp minor, Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 4 and works by Chopin, including the Grande Polonaise brillante.

Debut of Seong-Jin Cho

Friday, July 26 marks the first concert on Quebec soil of the highly acclaimed pianist Seong-Jin Cho. Under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, he will perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 4. The OM and its conductor will also present Bruckner’s Symphony no. 7, whose nearly mystical depth remains an endless source of fascination.

Heading this way:
Lucas and Arthur Jussen

Saturday, July 27, brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal under Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare perform on the Amphithéâtre stage in a programme featuring Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Francis Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos, and Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony no. 4.

Brahms²

Sunday, 28 July, pianist Marc-André Hamelin, a familiar figure at the Festival and well-known for his breathtaking virtuosity, joins Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the OM to take on Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concertos 1 and 2 in succession. A monumental concert imbued with irresistible Romanticism!

On Friday and Saturday evenings, and on Sundays July 28 and August 4, the Festival Express will run a shuttle bus between the Infotourist Center on Peel Street in Montreal and the Amphitheatre. For information and reservations, call 1 800 561-4343.

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Images: courtesy of Festival de LanaudièreMore articles on music and concerts