Les Violons du Roy will be very active over the next few days. The Quebec ensemble will give three concerts under the direction of three conductors, with musicians and voices from the next generation and also with Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Karina Gauvin, Jean-François Lapointe and Charles Richard-Hamelin.
Concerts that will be presented this afternoon at 3 p.m., Thursday and Saturday during the Closing of the 44th edition of the Domaine Forget International Festival.
A violinist with Les Violons du Roy for 27 years, Pascale Giguère finds herself immersed in her childhood when she recalls her years as an intern, in the 1980s, at the Domaine, in the small Charlevoix municipality of Saint-Irénée.
“I arrived in Charlevoix, after the Camp musical de Lanaudière, and I discovered the mountains, this incredible view of the river, and the smells. Every time I come back, I feel like home. We are always so well received, ”she said in a telephone interview.
There is, for the musician, something soothing to find herself in such a magnificent setting.
“It’s a really fantastic place. In all respects,” she added.
First violin of the Quebec ensemble, Pascale Giguère accompanies, for a few days, the young musicians of the chamber orchestra of the Academy and the singing trainees.
A mentorship that takes place in anticipation of a first concert, this afternoon, where we will find works by Bach, Mozart, Jadin, the play entertainment of Bartok and the Symphony No. 1 by Prokoviev, under the direction of Jean-Marie Zeitouni and Mathieu Lussier.
“It’s really a transmission mission. This contact with young people allows us to go even further. We have a lot of rehearsals to refine and work with these young people who are at the start of their professional life and who are good musicians, ”she said.
Closing Concert
Thursday, the Violons du Roy will meet their conductor Jonathan Cohen for a concert with the Academy Chamber Orchestra. On the program, an extract from the opera-ballet The gallant Indies by Rameau, an extract from the concerto in D major for double bass and orchestra by Vanhal and the Symphony number 4 by Beethoven.
“We haven’t seen him a lot during the pandemic. I look forward to reuniting with our director to work with him. It is also an opportunity for young people to benefit from these great qualities as a musician,” explained Pascale Giguère.
On the 20th, during the closing concert, the Violons du Roy, under the direction of Jonathan Cohen, will be accompanied by contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux, soprano Karina Gauvin, baritone Jean-François Lapointe and pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin .
A gala-type concert, explains the general and artistic co-director Laurent Patenaude, to mark the end of the mandate, after 11 seasons, of the artistic director Paul Fortin at the Domaine Forget International Music Festival.
Mathieu Lussier, who will assume the artistic direction of Domaine Forget for the next editions, will officially take office on August 22.
“A beautiful party”
“Marie-Nicole, Karina and Jean-François are currently teaching young people at the Academy. Might as well take advantage of it. It will be an opportunity to celebrate what Paul Fortin has done for the Domaine. It’s going to be a great party,” he remarked.
We will hear excerpts from the operas Cosi fan tutte, Don Giovanni, The nose from Figaro, Guillaume Tell, Lakme and Samson and Delilah. Pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin will perform the Piano Concerto No. 20 of Mozart.
For Pascale Giguère, this is a great gift with beautiful Quebec stars.
“We often did concerts with them, but having them all together for the same concert is a gift and it’s great for the public. We’re gonna have a lot of fun. I’m really looking forward to this meeting. It’s going to be just happiness, ”she dropped.