The succession of Isolde Lagacé at the head of the Bourgie hall will be ensured by two people: Caroline Louis as general manager and Olivier Godin as artistic director. These appointments were announced Monday by Pierre Bourgie, chairman of the boards of directors of Arte Musica and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
It was in April that the announcement of the person called to succeed Isolde Lagacé, general and artistic director of the Bourgie hall since its opening in 2011 and who had announced her retirement last January, was expected. The outgoing director, who was involved in determining what to do next, did not rule out broadening the selection process and taking her time if a solution was not obvious. This is exactly what happened, with the difficulty of finding the rare pearl possessing, in addition to the adequate artistic profile, the sufficient caliber of manager.
A new light
Olivier Godin, prince of accompanists, even if we say today “collaborating pianists”, has been a professor at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal since the age of 25. Responsible for the Opera Workshop of this institution for nearly 15 years, he taught there for 20 years. Olivier Godin is the pianist of the complete melodies of Poulenc and Fauré published by Atma and recorded the complete Melodies of Massenet – there are more than 300 – during the pandemic. Even if the pianists and vocal coaches are discreet musicians, his reputation goes far beyond borders, and he recently accompanied Marie-Nicole Lemieux during song recitals in France. We can hope that, under his direction, the collaboration with the Palazzetto Bru Zane, in particular, can be cultivated and developed.
A dynamic shadow actress, Caroline Louis was an important link in the OSM as director of its education department. She has been with this institution for 12 years, having cut her teeth there in the marketing department before managing educational projects under the musical direction of Kent Nagano, then Rafael Payare. She worked, of course, on the development of young audiences, but also took an interest in young performers by directing the OSM Competition for several years. Of Caroline Louis, who will complete a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) at HEC Montréal this summer, Isolde Lagacé says that she is an “outstanding and sensitive manager”. Both Caroline Louis and Olivier Godin are now cast in a new light.
The stated goal of Pierre Bourgie and Isolde Lagacé was, as the outgoing director put it, to “pass the torch to two people who […] know how to pursue the mission of Bourgie Hall in a spirit of continuity. The challenge to Caroline Louis and Olivier Godin is nonetheless much greater. Does the portrait we currently see in cinemas in terms of attendance reflect a passing defiance or a new normal? A recent study in the United States, published on May 10 by the firm IMPACTS Experience, shows demand down at least 20% from the pre-pandemic level nationwide, an almost optimistic reading compared to observations. .
The two newcomers will take up their duties on June 15 and, in order to ensure a smooth transition, Isolde Lagacé will remain in office until November 15.