This text is part of the special section Higher Education
Master classes, guest artists, free concert tickets… these are some of the activities provided for in the brand new partnership between the Orchester Métropolitain (OM) and the Faculty of Music of the Université de Montréal (UdeM). This collaboration will make it possible to train students for professional experiences.
The mission of this initiative consists mainly in setting up projects aimed at supporting musical influence, summarizes Jean-François Rivest, full professor at the Faculty of Music of the Université de Montréal. “It’s to create collaborations, to offer students opportunities to meet works, conductors, musicians,” adds the man who is conductor and founder of the Orchester de l’Université de Montréal.
This new relationship between the two organizations will also bring visibility, both for OM and for the Faculty of Music, he believes. He hopes that this collaboration can “serve as a model of partnership between a music education institution and an important player in the practical milieu”, by setting up various projects.
A first activity took place on October 13 as part of the initiative. The head of OM, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, came to conduct the University orchestra with the 1er movement of the Symphony No. 8 by Gustav Mahler. The training is made up of young adults enrolled in programs ranging from baccalaureate to doctorate. ” [Yannick Nézet-Séguin] was very happy. He even talked about it the next day at the Orchester Métropolitain’s rehearsal,” says Mr. Rivest.
And, for students, it is a way to find some satisfaction. “They were very enthusiastic. And like [Yannick Nézet-Séguin] is very famous, it was impressive for young musicians, says the professor. They were extremely proud of themselves because they were well prepared. »
And this pride fuels their motivation and boosts their long-term commitment, adds Nathalie Fernando, Dean of the Faculty of Music at the University of Montreal. According to the one who is also a full professor of ethnomusicology, this type of partnership makes it possible to establish human relations which have a real impact on their lives.
Open to all faculty
The agreement between the OM and the Faculty of Music at UdeM was born of “a warm and dynamic dialogue and a joint desire” to create such an initiative, explains Ms.me Fernando.
While the rehearsal given by Maestro Nézet-Séguin was primarily aimed at involving students in performance with an orchestral instrument, other activities will be aimed at students from other programs at the establishment.
Interpretation students could also join OM for a concert or take part in another professional immersion project. Those who are registered in composition could, for their part, have their works read by OM as part of a working session. “There is an open door for young doctoral students in orchestral conducting to be able to conduct composers’ readings with the OM,” adds Mr. Rivest.
Future master classes with guest artists such as singers or pianists would also reach more students, believes the professor. The donation of concert tickets will also allow all students of the Faculty of Music to benefit from this partnership. “A student of electroacoustics or a student of musicology can very well go and listen to a symphony concert, because it’s good for his culture anyway! illustrates the conductor, laughing.
Then, music mediation projects would be offered to musicology students, but would also serve to reach a wider audience outside the faculty, adds Mr. Rivest. “If you look at all the activities on offer, there is something for everyone,” he says.
A partnership of three years… or more
The agreement that started this year is for three years. “It’s three years on paper, but we’re open to it lasting longer,” says Mr. Rivest. There are no restrictions; on the contrary, we are open to development. »
This collaboration is also part of the mission of the Faculty of Music to put young people at the heart of a professional context even if they have not completed their studies, continues Ms.me Fernando. “We will work out the details of the planned activities every year,” she says. She points out that Yannick Nézet-Séguin has expressed his desire to return to conduct a rehearsal of the University orchestra.
Further discussions will take place after Christmas in order to organize other projects within the framework of the partnership, adds Mr. Rivest. “It will take off more and more during the second and third year,” he believes.
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