The Orchestre classique de Montréal (OCM), recent winner of the JUNO Award for Classical Album of the Year, is excited to unveil its 2024/25 season: 85 Years of Emotions. The season, presented by BMO, features an incredible lineup of soloists, including Paul Merkelo, Marc Djokic, Suzanne Taffot, Elizabeth Polese, Rose Naggar-Tremblay, Sharon Azrieli, James Westman, Jean François Lapointe, Magalie Simard-Galdes, Stéphanie Pothier, Angelo Moretti, Phillip Addis, and more.
“The OCM’s 85th season evokes an array of powerful emotions. We’re ecstatic, proud and immensely honoured to have served our audience for this many decades,” says Taras Kulish, OCM’s Executive Director. “As founders of this orchestra, the Brott family were true pioneers. We’re committed to carrying forward their vision and building on their legacy.”
In addition to well-known works by composers such as Bernstein, Ravel, Fauré, Handel and Beethoven, the season features the world premiere of a song cycle by Haitian-born composer David Bontemps in February 2025, as part of Black History Month. The OCM also ventures into the world of jazz with Paul Merkelo, therenowned principal trumpet of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.
The 85th season strikes a perfect balance between celebrated masterpieces and lesser-known musical gems. Audiences will enjoy excerpts from West Side Story, the OCM’s annual Holiday performance of Handel’s Messiah, and Beethoven’s celebrated Ninth Symphony in a grand closing concert. Rarely performed chamber operas are also on the bill, with The Medium by Menotti and La Serva Padrona by Pergolesi, featuring the young stars of the Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal.
Québec boasts a wealth of talented conductors, and the OCM is thrilled that several of the province’s best are taking the podium this season, including Simon Rivard, Andrei Feher, Roï Azoulay, Adam Johnson, Mélanie Léonard, Véronique Lussier, Philippe Bourque and others.
It’s a season that’s sure to please even the most discerning music lover, with performances at Montréal’s top venues including the Pierre-Mercure Hall, (where the OCM is in residence), the Crypt of Saint Joseph’s Oratory, and a closing concert at the magnificent Maison symphonique of the Place des arts.
THE OCM 2024-25 SEASON
THE SERVANT AND THE CLAIRVOYANT: October 8, 2024 (7:30 p.m.) – Pierre-Mercure Hall
Enjoy an engaging, intimate performance of two chamber operas featuring singers from the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal. La Serva Padrona by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi is a light-hearted, comical intermezzo with a farcical plot full of delightful deceptions and disguises. In contrast, Gian Carlo Menotti’s one-act opera The Medium descends into a macabre world of murder and chaos. Simon Rivard conducts both operas, with staging by François Racine and lighting design by Anne-Catherine Simard Deraspe.
FRENCH IMPRESSIONS: November 20, 2024 (7:30 p.m.) – Pierre-Mercure Hall
La Belle Époque comes to life in this concert of masterworks by French Impressionist composers. The subtle hues and textures of the Petite Symphonie à cordes by Maurice Ravel paint a tonal picture of delicate refinement under the baton of conductor Andrei Feher. This evening also features world-renowned Québec baritone Jean-François Lapointe in a performance of popular mélodies by Gabriel Fauré and Maurice Ravel, with new orchestral arrangements by François Vallières. This OCM benefit gala includes a pre-concert cocktail reception, as well as desserts served on stage after the show.
HANDEL’S MESSIAH December 12, 2024 (7:30 p.m.) – Crypt of Saint Joseph’s Oratory
Join us for this much-loved holiday tradition and let the OCM fill your heart with the comfort and joy of Handel’s most famous oratorio, in the superb acoustics of the Crypt of Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal. Conductor Roï Azoulay leads les Filles de l’île and les Chantres musiciens choirs alongside a quartet of talented soloists, for a concert that will light up the holiday season!
DISTANT ECHOES OF AFRICA: February 6, 2025 (7:30 p.m.) – Pierre-Mercure Hall
In honour of Black History Month, the OCM pays tribute to composers and artists of African descent in a concert featuring Canadian-Cameroonian soprano Suzanne Taffot and Panamanian-American conductor Kalena Bovell,with works by Afro-British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and African-American composers George Walker and William Grant Still. The evening also sees the world premiere of Le Deuil des roses qui s’effeuillent, a song cycle by Canadian-Haitian composerDavid Bontemps inspired by the poems of Jacques Roumain, as we mark the 80th anniversary of the Haitian writer’s passing.
JAZZ & JEANS: February 25, 2025 (7:30 p.m.) – Pierre-Mercure Hall
Put on your most comfortable jeans and get ready for an evening of electrifying jazz featuring Montréal’s star trumpet player Paul Merkelo, principal trumpet of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. Led by conductor Adam Johnson, this concert is sure to delight jazz fans with a varied program of works by renowned composers, including Gershwin, Ellington, Davis, Morris and James.
OPERA-CANDY: The Gourmet Adventure of Hansel & Gretel (family concert):
April 6, 2025 (1:00 p.m.) – Pierre-Mercure Hall
This charming introduction to opera and the operatic voice is a tempting treat the whole family can enjoy! Our story opens with two fun-loving singers who are eager to tell the tale of Hansel and Gretel through music. Their clever friend tries to help them out, but his greed and absent-mindedness get him into trouble! Véronique Lussier conducts this whimsical reimagining of the famous fairy tale beloved by sweet tooths of all ages.
MAESTRO BERNSTEIN: May 2, 2024 (7:30 p.m.) – Pierre-Mercure Hall
World-renowned composer Leonard Bernstein reshaped the music scene in the second half of the 20th century. Join us for an evening that shines the spotlight on his works for the concert hall and the Broadway stage. Conductor Mélanie Léonard leads the OCM in excerpts from West Side Story and Candide, brought to life by the powerful voices of Sharon Azrieli, Rose Naggar-Tremblay and James Westman. Violin soloist Marc Djokic will also charm the crowd with his performance of Serenade, Bernstein’s tribute to lovefor solo violin, strings and percussion.
ODE TO JOY: May 31, 2024 (7:30 p.m.) – Maison symphonique
The OCM’s 85th season closes in grand style starting with Memengwenyig, a piece by Anishinaabe composer Barbara Assiginaak that blends elements of traditional Indigenous music with modern sounds to depict butterflies in flight. Then, it’s Pierre Mercure’s majestic Cantate pour une joie for choir, orchestra and solo soprano. The program culminates with Beethoven’s celebrated Ninth Symphony, a monumental work that plumbs the depths of the human soul and unleashes the thrilling power of musical expression. Presented by the OCM and in collaboration with the St. Lawrence Choir, this concert brings together over 100 instrumentalists, choristers and soloists on stage at the magnificent Maison symphonique, under the direction of conductor Philippe Bourque. It promises to be an exhilarating evening!
For more details and to purchase individual or season tickets, please visit: ORCHESTRE.CA
About the OCM
The 2024 Juno Award winning Orchestre Classique de Montréal (OCM) was founded in 1939 by violinist, conductor, and composer Alexander Brott and cellist and manager Lotte Brott. Previously named the McGill Chamber Orchestra, the OCM quickly became one of Canada’s most established chamber orchestras, touring five continents, recording extensively, and appearing regularly on radio and television. Boris Brott, OC, OQ, the elder son of Alexander and one of Canada’s most internationally renowned conductors, led the OCM from 2000 until his death in April 2022. The OCM is a vibrant, innovative, and flexible ensemble consisting of the city’s best professional musicians now in residence at the Pierre-Mercure Hall. Fulfilling its mission of celebrating diversity and inclusivity, the OCM has created the program Music for Everyone which enables collaborations with numerous new immigrant communities and Montreal organizations in making OCM’s performances accessible to all. The OCM proudly acknowledges BMO Financial Group as its Season Presenter.
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