The OSM’s Classical Spree, which will be held mainly on Saturday, opens with six concerts on Friday evening. What are the expected highlights and the expected stars of this 2022 vintage?
Through its 24 indoor concerts and free outdoor concerts, the Virée 2022 adopts a theme aimed at celebrating the musical and literary cultures of the American continent.
Rafael Payare will begin the weekend at the Maison symphonique on Friday at 6:30 p.m. with Legends of Jacques Hétu, associated with the Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin (with Sergio Tiempo) and Danzon No. 2 de Marquez, the type of “mix” Quebec, United States and South America as we would have dreamed of on the stage of the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday, even if the Rhapsody had already been presented there in 2013.
At 8:15 p.m., the chef will lead James Ehnes in the Violin Concerto by Korngold, preceded by Siegfried-Idyll of Wagner. Ehnes and Tiempo (who performs solo Saturday at 11:30 a.m.) will be paired Saturday at 6:45 p.m. in a tribute to Piazzolla.
It is only Saturday that the other star and, for us here, the great discovery that this trip will allow, will take the stage: the soprano Jeanine De Bique. This impressive singer from Trinidad and Tobago will sing Knoxville: Summer of 1915 de Barber with the OSM at 12:45 p.m. His recital at the Théâtre Maisonneuve, Friday at 8:30 p.m., has unfortunately been cancelled.
The big concert on Saturday evening will be provided by Bruce Liu and Rafael Payare, with the Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini of Rachmaninoff. Here too, a programmatic triptych with Scorpius by R. Murray Schafer for the Canadian section and the Bachianas Brasileiras No. 7 de Villa-Lobos for the South American side is in order. The closing concert, Sunday at 1 p.m., will bring together an ensemble of musicians and several soloists under the direction of the OSM’s music director.
Those who appreciated the brilliance of trumpeter Pacho Flores at the Olympic Stadium will find him with pleasure in a “brass and percussion” concert on Saturday at 4:30 p.m., while Hector Molina on the cuatro (four-string guitar) will give a recital at 2 p.m. 30. Note the fine line-up of young Canadian artists, including cellists Cameron Crozman, in trio with OSM violinist Jean-Sébastien Roy and Philip Chiu (11:15 a.m.), and Bryan Cheng (1:30 p.m.) in duo with Andrew Wan.
There will soon be a name to add and bring here, as fellow Canadian pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, 23, from British Columbia, won the $40,000 Santander Piano Competition a week ago. .
Bring families together
In addition to La Virée concerts, there are free activities, such as concerts by amateurs and emerging artists at the Complexe Desjardins, workshops, including Latin American and traditional Quebec dances or ” drumline “.
The goal is also to bring families together on the Place des Arts site. A “quiet pavilion”, offering musical awakening (a very popular activity) and musical creation workshops, is already arousing great interest.