The OM Alfresco – July 8-9, 13, 15-16, 2022 LiveEvents July 2, 2022 1116 Orchestre Metropolitain presents The OM Alfresco To fulfill the aim of sharing its passion with as many people as possible, the OM is committed to offering free concerts in various Montreal parks. In collaboration with Montreal boroughs, the Orchestra is on a mission to contribute to the well-being of everyone through music, to stimulate curiosity and to foster public exchange. Under the direction of Montreal conductor Mélanie Léonard, the OM will offer a magnificent program sure to captivate music lovers! A current of hope permeates Beethoven’s Symphony no. 5, one of the most famous works of all times, with its unmistakable four-note opening motif of three short notes followed by a long note whose grandiose and imposing presence is like a rumour that spreads through the whole orchestra. Louise Farrenc’s Symphony no. 3 showcases the full extent of this remarkable composer’s gifts and astounding melodic inventiveness. In 19th-century Paris, Farrenc was one of the few women composers of the Romantic period to have obtained the recognition of her peers during her lifetime. Her output acknowledges the legacy of Beethoven, Schubert and Mendelssohn. Mélanie Léonard, conductor Mélanie Léonard, born in Montreal and raised in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, is the Music Director of Symphony New Brunswick and the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra. Prior to her appointment in Sudbury, she held the positions of resident conductor (2009-2012) and associate conductor (2012-2013) with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. She guest conducted at the Montreal International Jazz Festival and with several Canadian Orchestras, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal, I Musici, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, Regina Symphony Orchestra, Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, Stratford Symphony Orchestra, Niagara Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre Symphonique de Longueuil. Mrs. Léonard is a sought after studio recording conductor. She lead the orchestra and choir in the studio recording of the music for Aura (music by Gabriel Thibaudeau et Marc Bell), a multidisciplinary show produced by Moment Factory and presented at the Montreal Notre-Dame Basilica. She recorded soundtracks for movies, multimedia projects, and more recently for Paradise City, an immersive environment in a South Korean Hotel complex. She worked with renowned artists such as Herbie Hancock, Charles Richard-Hamelin, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Shauna Rolston and actors John Rhys Davies (Lord of the Rings), Garrett Want (Star Trek) and John de Lancie (Star Trek). Mélanie Léonard completed her Doctorate in orchestral conducting at Université de Montréal under Maestri Paolo Bellomia and Jean-François Rivest. She holds a bachelor degree in Music Theory from the same university. She received her Masters of Music in Orchestra Conducting from the Hartt School of Music (Hartford, Connecticut), where she studied with Maestro Christopher Zimmerman. In 2012, she received the Jean-Marie Beaudet prize in orchestral conducting, awarded by the Canada Council for the Arts. These are free concerts. Friday, July 8th, 2022 at 8:00pmParc Marie-Claire-Kirkland-Casgrain (LaSalle) Saturday, July 9th, 2022 at 8:00pmParc Saint-Jean-Baptiste (RDP-PAT) Wednesday, July 13th, 2022 at 8:00pmParc Ahuntsic (Ahuntsic-Cartierville) Friday, July 15th, 2022 at 8:30pmTheatre de Verdure (Plateau-Mont-Royal) Saturday, July 16th, 2022 at 8:30pmTheatre de Verdure (Plateau-Mont-Royal) For more information visit: www.orchestremetropolitain.com
