Les Idées heureuses presents

Jamais je ne t’oublierai: échos du Moyen Âge dans nos chants du terroir

For this second concert of the season, Dorothéa Ventura invites one of her long-time accomplices to introduce us to his musical universe. She has entrusted Jean-François Daignault with a concert in the Carte blanche series, during which you will hear a playful juxtaposition of medieval and Renaissance music with French-Canadian folk tunes, highlighting their similarities in writing techniques, sonorities, themes and characters.

You’ll discover little-known works from the 12th to 16th centuries by Hildegard von Bingen, Guillaume Dufay, Josquin des Prés and Johannes Ciconia, and be sure to recognise popular tunes such as Partons la mer est belle, M’en revenant de la jolie Rochelle and, of course, À la claire fontaine… which you’ll still be humming long after the concert!

An original idea from Jean-François Daignault, who is responsible for the musical direction and brilliant arrangements.

Artists
Jean-François Daignault, voice, flutes, chalumeau, arrangements, musical direction

After studying the oboe and theatre, Jean-François Daignault earned a bachelor’s degree with honors in early music literature and performance from McGill University, with high distinction in voice.

Mr Daignault has for many years specialized in early music, with some incursions into the world of contemporary music. He has performed in North America and Europe with ensembles including Opéra de Montréal chorus, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal chorus and Chants Libres, under the direction of conductors such as Hervé Niquet, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and John Rutter.

He has sung the famous « roasted swan solo » from Orff’s Carmina burana more than 20 times, including at the Festival de Lanaudière and at the Maison Symphonique de Montréal.He is the cofounder of Ensemble ALKEMIA, a vocal trio that explores a capella repertoire from the last millenium. He sings and plays wind instruments with Ensemble séfarade et méditerranéen, which was awarded an Opus prize for their first album.

Mr Daignault also composes and arranges music. His works are performed regularly by local ensembles. He also enjoys exploring Montréal’s underground art scene, where he has put together performances which explore phantasy, transformation and the voice.

Dorothea Ventura, voice

A versatile artist, Dorothéa Ventura is very active in the Quebec artistic scene. Singer, harpsichordist, vocal coach, choral conductor, dancer and actor, she has performed with the most prestigious ensembles in Quebec, Canada and Europe, in some 500 productions, concerts and recordings, many of which have won Prix Opus, Juno Awards and ADISQ nominations.

She co-founded Ensemble ALKEMIA, an a cappella vocal ensemble that was a finalist at the Early Music America Competition in New York and nominated for the 2014 and 2015 Prix Opus (Best Concert of the Year). With violinist Olivier Brault, she collaborated on the creation of the ensemble Sonate 1704, aimed at discovering the repertoire of violin sonatas in 18th-century France.

She is artistic director of the ensemble Les Idées heureuses, sits on the artistic committee of La Nef, directs the Opus Novum Choir, teaches harpsichord at the Cégep de Trois-Rivières and is a regular teacher at CAMMAC. A private vocal coach for professional singers, notably at McGill University and the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, she has been assistant to conductors Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Hervé Niquet, and Andrew Parrott on several opera productions.

Ghislaine Deschambault, voice

A versatile singer with a warm and sensual voice, Ghislaine Deschambault is recognized for her musicality, enchanting stage presence and daring explorations of new performance modes. The mezzo-soprano can be frequently heard in recital and concert in repertoire ranging from medieval to contemporary music.

Leah Weitzner, voice, viola da gamba and vielle

Leah Weitzner is a mezzo-soprano, viola da gambist, and researcher dedicated to illuminating unexplored early repertoire and re-interpreting historical performance practices. She is a recent graduate from McGill University holding a Bachelor of Music degree in early music vocal performance. Currently, she is pursuing a master’s degree in Musicology at McGill, with research interests rooted in Renaissance improvisation and oral traditions. Leah is a 2022-23 recipient of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Graduate research grant. She intends to further explore performance practices of ritual devotion among women in 16th-century Italy.

Antoine Malette Chénier, harps and flute of the Renaissance

Bringing his musical expertise and creativity to every field in which he engages, Canadian harpist Antoine Malette-Chénier plays a repertoire ranging from the Renaissance and the Baroque, on period instruments, to contemporary creations. An active orchestral musician, Antoine holds the Principal Harp chair with the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières, and has played with many ensembles in Canada, France, and the United States, including the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Les Violons du Roy, the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, and Les Voix humaines. Antoine has won many awards, including the 2014 Michael Measures prize from the Canada Council for the Arts, a first prize at the 2013 Orchestre symphonique de Montréal Competition, and two scholarships from the National Arts Centre Orchestra. As the winner of top prizes in several concerto competitions, he was awarded soloist appearances with orchestras in Canada, Hungary, France, and the United States.

Malette-Chénier, a graduate of McGill University and the Université de Montréal, holds master’s degrees in harp performance from Yale University, and in historical harp performance from the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon.

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