Artistic Director Olivier Godin and Executive Director Caroline Louis recently unveiled the 2023-2024 season at Bourgie Hall with three mini-performances for the season subscribers who attended in larger numbers. This 13th season, will be the first crafted by the new directors following the retirement of the Founding Artistic and Executive Director.

In keeping with previous seasons that have contributed to the reputation of this concert hall popular among music lovers, but also with a strong desire to blaze new trails, the programming for 2023-2024 is intended to be unifying and aligned with today’s musical world. It stands out thanks to its wide range of concerts and events pertaining to various musical traditions. Featuring exciting projects as well as several new initiatives, the next season will showcase in Montreal performers acclaimed on the international music scene as well as rising stars.

Caroline Louis

Caroline Louis brings a wealth of management experience in the performing arts to her position as Executive Director

Olivier Godin and Caroline Louis express their pleasure at unveiling this programming crafted by their four-handed management: “For Bourgie Hall’s 13th season, we reveal how we envisage the next few years. The piano occupies a prominent place, while, given the hall’s particular suitability for vocal music, special importance will be accorded to these concerts. We will also place particular emphasis on new works and contemporary repertoire, with Rachel Laurin becoming Bourgie Hall’s first composer-in-residence. Tribute will additionally be paid to several luminaries of the repertoire, such as Ligeti, Théodore Dubois, Maria Callas, Rachmaninoff and Oscar Peterson. Furthermore, fans of jazz and music of diverse cultures will be delighted to learn that these series will be enhanced during the coming years.”

Rich and varied, with high-calibre recitals and artists from diverse backgrounds who reflect the community of which it is a part, this season will be composed of nearly 100 concerts presented by Bourgie Hall, with 50% of its programming including Quebec or Canadian artists. Furthermore, six concerts will echo two Museum exhibitions this fall: Marisol: A Retrospective as well as one featuring the work of Françoise Sullivan, a major Quebec artist. To this must be added more than 66 concerts by guest presenters.

Olivier Godin

Artistic Director Olivier Godin is a well-respected pianist who will perform during the season

Among the prestigious soloists performing at Bourgie Hall next season are clarinetist Andreas Ottensamer, pianists Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Christian Blackshaw, Charles Richard-Hamelin, Igor Levit, who makes his first appearance in Montreal, Isata Kanneh-Mason, Bruce Liu, and Víkingur Ólafsson; fortepianist Jean Rondeau; mandolinist Avi Avital; trumpet player Sergei Nakariakov; violinist Daniel Hope; singers Gordon Bintner, Karina Gauvin, Wolfgang Holzmair, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, François Le Roux, Ema Nikolovska and Davóne Tines; as well as conductors Jonathan Cohen and Anthony Marwood.

As for chamber music ensembles, Bourgie Hall will welcome the Dover Quartet, Ligeti Quartet, Trio Wanderer, Faust-Queyras-Melnikov Trio, as well as the Musicians from Marlboro.

Finally, Bourgie will have the pleasure of welcoming several Baroque ensembles: Théotime Langlois de Swarte and Le Consort, Le Poème harmonique, Gothic Voices as well as the Alia Mens ensemble.

In order to make concerts accessible to a wider audience, various attractive subscription packages (series and à la carte subscriptions) ensure that ticket prices remain affordable. As usual, MMFA members enjoy a 15% discount on the General Public rate at all times. For concertgoers 34 years old and younger, a 50% discount on the General Public rate and last-minute tickets at the cost of $10 (subject to availability) are offered.

Vocalists: Bourgie Hall’s intimate atmosphere is ideally suited for vocal recitals. This year, the hall will welcome outstanding lyric artists who will perform 13 outstanding recitals: Marc Boucher, baritone and Olivier Godin, piano (October 11); Davóne Tines, bass-baritone and John Bitoy, piano (October 15); Gordon Bintner, bass-baritone and Michael McMahon, piano (November 10); Tribute to Maria Callas with Aline Kutan, soprano and Richard Turp, lecturer (December 2); Jack Swanson, tenor and John Arida, piano (December 8); Rose Naggar-Tremblay, contralto and Julien LeBlanc, piano (December 13); Wolfgang Holzmair, baritone and Olivier Godin, piano (January 27); Ihor Mostovoi, baritone and Serhiy Salov, piano (February 17); Cyrille Dubois, tenor and Tristan Raës, piano (March 15); Ema Nikolovska, mezzo-soprano and Charles Richard-Hamelin, piano (March 20); François Le Roux, baritone and musicians from the Orchestre Métropolitain (April 18); Marie-Nicole Lemieux, contralto and Karina Gauvin, soprano (April 19); as well as Myriam Leblanc, soprano and Romain Pollet, piano (May 15).

Oscar Peterson

Tribute to Oscar Peterson

Pianists: Eighteen pianists renowned worldwide for their immense talent and great musicality will present exceptional recitals: Isata Kanneh-Mason (October 10); David Greilsammer (October 26); Sandra Murray and Claire Ouellet (November 1); Christian Blackshaw (November 2); Pierre-Laurent Aimard (November 5); Llŷr Williams (November 7); Jean Rondeau (November 15) and Anders Muskens (November 26) on the fortepiano; Louise Bessette and Corey Hamm (December 6); Momo and Mari Kodama (December 10); Víkingur Ólafsson (January 24); Igor Levit (March 11); Illia Ovcharenko and Alexander Kashpurin (April 6 and 7); Charles Richard-Hamelin and Eric Lu (April 10); Michelle Cann (April 16); André Laplante (April 27); and Bruce Liu (May 14).

Jazz 5 à 7: This popular Thursday-evening series will continue this coming season. Starting at 5 p.m., Bourgie Hall’s bar will be open for six jazz 5 à 7, on Thursdays at 6 pm.

● The innovative sextet Turboprop (October 5)
● Two Jazz Pianos with Jean-Michel Pilc and Rafael Zaldivar (December 7)
● A Charlie Brown Christmas: the return of this holiday classic! (December 20 and 21)
● André Leroux and Friends (February 22)
● Tribute to Oscar Peterson with the Taurey Butler Trio (March 14)
● The Scale of Time with Yves Léveillé and his musicians (May 16)

Concerts to complement MMFA Exhibitions

A world-class concert hall in a museum provides an exceptional opportunity to work closely with the MMFA to develop a rich programming of multidisciplinary activities. This unique positioning opens up unsuspected creative possibilities, exploring innovative links between various art forms. In 2023-2024, six concerts in connection with two exhibitions at the museum will be presented:

Exhibition Marisol: A Retrospective, presented at the MMFA (from October 7, 2023 to January 21, 2024)

● Soraya Benitez: Sin frontera (October 25)
● Quatuor Cobalt: Celebrating Women Composers (November 8)
● Les Rugissants: Marisol/Fragments (November 29)
● The Women Who Leave (December 13)

Exhibition on Françoise Sullivan, a major Québec artist who celebrates her 100th birthday this year (presented at the MMFA from October 31, 2023 to February 18, 2024)

● Tribute to Françoise Sullivan (January 21)
● The String Quartet: From Refus global to Foday with the Molinari Quartet (January 25)

Les Violons Du Roy

A presence at Bourgie Hall since its opening, Les Violons du Roy are back for a 13th season! This ensemble offers Montreal audiences 7 memorable concerts.

● The Essence of Strings (October 20): Anthony Marwood, violin and conductor
● The Devil’s Labyrinth (November 3): Nicolas Ellis, conductor, and Kerson Leong, violin
● French Romance (January 19): Nicolas Ellis, conductor, Florie Valiquette, soprano and David Jalbert, piano
● Mozart and Haydn, Winds and Harp (February 2): Jonathan Cohen, conductor and Valérie Milot, harp
● Bach, Handel and the Concertante Organ (March 1): Nicolas Ellis, conductor and Isabelle Demers, organ
● The Guitar of Miloš (April 26): Jonathan Cohen (conductor) et Miloš (guitar)
● Fantastic Dreams (June 7): Nicolas Ellis, conductor, and Andréanne Brisson Paquin, soprano

Musicians of the OSM

The Musicians of the OSM, who have enchanted audiences since Bourgie Hall opened, are back for 4 must-see musical encounters.

● A Festival of Brass: works by Michael Tilson Thomas, Fernando Morais, Lauren Bernofsky, Bernstein and Piazzolla (September 29)
● An Out-of-the-Ordinary Octet: with the OSM’s double bass section (February 16)
● An Evening with Fauré (April 5)
● At the Heart of the String Quartet: works by Jessie Montgomery, Philip Glass and Kelly-Marie Murphy (May 24)

Musicians of the Orchestre Metropolitain

As part of a brand new partnership beginning this season, the Musicians of the OM present four chamber music concerts, in addition to three family concerts with the fabulous Barbada de Barbades.

● Andreas Ottensamer, clarinet: works by Brahms and Emilie Mayer (October 18)
● Tribute to Raffi Armenian and Agnes Grossmann (March 19)
● Le Bal masqué and L’Histoire du soldat: two major works of French vocal music (18 avril)
● The Winds of the Orchestre Métropolitain: works by Simon Bourget, Thuille and Poulenc(June 5)

Family concerts with Barbada and the Orchestre Métropolitain

Initiated by Bourgie Hall, three events are offered to families in 2023-2024 with the fabulous Barbada de Barbades and the Orchestre Métropolitain! “Once upon three times…”, three musical tales written and staged by François Racine and narrated by the colourful drag artist on November 12, April 14 and June 2 to a soundtrack created by musicians of the OM.

Music Of Global Cultures

In 2023-2024, several musical ensembles, representing the wide variety of music from global cultures from five continents, will be visiting Bourgie Hall.

● The Kleztory Ensemble offers a concert of Eastern European music (September 21).
● Soraya Benitez presents a concert with Venezuelan accents titled Sin frontera (October 25).
● Liu Fang, pipa and guzheng, and Liu Xiyan, guqin: a concert to usher in the Lunar New Year (February 10).
● Didem Başar, on the kanun, presents Continuum, a concert that evokes both Turkish musical traditions and Western sounds (February 13).
● Iranian Women: A Wind of Freedom with soprano Bahar Harandi pays tribute to the courage and resilience of the women of this Middle Eastern country (April 2).
● The exceptional cellist Abel Selaocoe and the Manchester Collective present Sirocco, pushing the boundaries of his instrument and weaving together Western and non-Western traditions (April 4).
● Violinist Daniel Hope presents The Soul of Ireland, which captures Ireland’s rich musical heritage from the Renaissance to the present day (April 23).

Arts Crossroads

This season, five events combine music and other art forms, whether they be dance, literature, visual arts, or cinema:

● Music and dance: Tribute to Françoise Sullivan (January 21)
● Music and literature: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30) and Even If I Lose Everything (May 25)
● Music and cinema: Right in the Eye (March 17)
● Music and visual arts: lecture by François Filiatrault (in French) on various masterpieces from the MMFA’s Hornstein collection (April 3)

The entire 2023-2024 Season program is available online at www.bourgiehall.ca. Tickets can be purchased by phone: 514-285-2000 option 1 or toll free: 1-800-899-6873 or in person at the MMFA Box Office during museum hours.