Bourgie Hall presents

Pianist Louise Bessette

Tribute to Charles Ives

2024 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of American composer Charles Ives (1874-1954). His music is both original and complex, with its use of avant-garde musical techniques and its references to popular music. Talented Quebec pianist Louise Bessette will pay tribute to him in this concert by performing his famous Concord Sonata. She will also introduce us to the colourful, descriptive music of American composer and pianist Edward MacDowell (1860 – 1908).

Immerse yourself in the world of early 20th-century New York in what promises to be an unforgettable evening!

In connection with the lecture Charles Ives and the Piano Sonata No. 2, Concord, Mass., 1840–60, presented in French the same day at 4:30pm.

Artists
Louise Bessette, piano

Louise Bessette has been renowned over her 35 year career for the excellence of her performances and for her commitment to promoting contemporary music. Numerous organizations and international competitions have seen fit to reward her talent, and her reviews are constantly laudatory. She has recorded a wide variety of repertoire both as a soloist and with chamber ensembles, appearing the world over with distinguished orchestras and by invitation to many first-rate festivals. Many composers write especially for her. Beyond her exceptional performance career, Mrs. Bessette is a significant figure in the musical world, promoting contemporary music every chance she gets, and creating the opportunity for composers to showcase their talents alongside performers, in activities and collaborations that essentially enrich our cultural panorama.

Jeffrey Stonehouse, flute

Graduate of the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and McGill University, flutist Jeffrey Stonehouse has performed across Canada and abroad in Europe, the United States and Mexico. Very active in the Montreal new music scene, he is co-founder and artistic director of Paramirabo and flutist of the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne. He also performs with ECM+, SMCQ and No Hay Banda. He is the artistic director of the specialized broadcaster Le Vivier. Jeffrey also works as a freelancer in orchestras in Quebec. He performs with the Orchestre Métropolitain, I Musici, and the symphony orchestras of: Trois-Rivières, Laval, Quebec and Drummondville. As a soloist, he has performed with the Orchestre Métropolitain, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra and in the festivals Journées de l’informatique musicale (Paris), Cluster New Music + Integrated Arts (Winnipeg), Mise-En (New York) and Chrysanthemums and Maple Leaves Festival (Vancouver).

Program
MACDOWELL New England Idyls, Op. 62
IVES Piano Sonata No. 2, Concord, Mass., 1840–60

Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 7:30pm
To purchase your tickets, visit: www.mbam.qc.ca/en/bourgie-hall/