Bourgie Hall presents

Oktopus

The folk music of Eastern Europe exercised a great influence on classical musicians. Rooted geographically in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, its traditions prompted composers such as Liszt and Brahms to borrow certain of its elements, enabling the Oktopus ensemble to offer us an original reading of the classical repertoire, à la hongroise.

Artists
Oktopus

Oktopus is a major presence on the Canadian world music scene, with over 300 performances to its credit at home and abroad. The group’s main focus is klezmer music—the ancestral music of the Jews of Eastern Europe—which incorporates a distinctive approach that harvests elements from the classical, Quebecois and jazz repertoires.

The group’s eight virtuoso musicians offer performances that alternate between the celebratory and the melancholic, sprinkled with humour and narrative. Original compositions and finely crafted arrangements also vie with improvisation. The group’s cohesion, passion and hard work help to make each of their performances memorable!

Zoé Dumais, violin
Gabriel Paquin-Buki, clarinet
Noémie Caron-Marcotte, flute
Francis Pigeon, trumpet
Simon Jolicoeur-Côté, trombone
Matthieu Bourget, bass trombone
Guillaume Martineau, piano
Maxime Philippe, drums

Program
Matthieu BOURGET
Bass Trombone Doina 
BRAHMS 
Hungarian Dance No. 5
ENESCU
Romanian Rhapsody No. 1, Op. 11
KODÁLY
Three Hungarian Dances
LISZT
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
MAHLER
Symphony No. 1, 3rd movement (excerpt)
Gabriel PAQUIN-BUKI
Kale Bazetsn 
Bookmark Hora
Suite Chagall
TRADITIONAL KLEZMER
Oy Tate S’iz Gut
Doina/Der yiddisher soldat in der trenches
Kolomeyke
I. WEBER
Wiegala

Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 7:30pm
To purchase your tickets, visit: www.mbam.qc.ca/en/bourgie-hall/