Internationally acclaimed Julie Boulianne to perform with McGill Chamber Orchestra on November 27, as part of the Montreal Bach Festival

Program includes Vivaldi, Bach, and a World Premiere by Barbara Croall

The McGill Chamber Orchestra (MCO) will welcome internationally-acclaimed coloratura mezzo-soprano Julie Boulianne for a program of Baroque and new music. Renowned for the rich timbre and colour of her voice, this Québécoise star performs around the world and returns to Montreal following her star turn as Charlotte in Werther with Opéra de Québec and concerts in Berlin and Utrecht. Boulianne and the orchestra, conducted by Boris Brott, are joined by two distinguished musicians and OSM principals, oboist Theodore Baskin and flutist Timothy Hutchins, for music by Vivaldi, Telemann, Bach, and Odawa composer Barbara Croall.  The concert takes place at Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church as part of the Montreal Bach Festival on Tuesday, November 27 at 7:30 pm.

The concert program includes two exquisite arias by Vivaldi, “Sovente il sole” and “Alma Oppressa,” both of which can be heard on Julie Boulianne’s 2017 Analekta album Alma Oppressa: Arias by Vivaldi and Handel, and J.S. Bach’s solo cantata Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut, BWV 199, with Theodore Baskin, oboe. Flutist Timothy Hutchins is featured in Telemann’s majestic Flute concerto in G major. Boulianne is joined by Hutchins and the orchestra for Zasakwaa (There is a Heavy Frost), a new work by Barbara Croall inspired by Anishinaabe cosmology. The mezzo-soprano soloist represents the ancient female island spirit, while the flute soloist is a transformational figure, depicting the cold winds and elemental spirit breath of life. The MCO rounds out the evening with Handel’s lively The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.

A graduate of McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, Ms. Boulianne is praised for her “rich, beautifully rounded tone” (The New York Times) and “refined and elegant vocalism” (Miami Herald). She has performed at opera houses around the world including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Aix-en-Provence Festival, and Festival Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, among many others. As a concert artist, Boulianne has performed with ensembles including the Cleveland Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin at Lincoln Center, and at Carnegie Hall with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and Sir Roger Norrington.

The McGill Chamber Orchestra is celebrating its 79th season. The Orchestra has toured widely presenting concerts in 17 countries on five continents to critical acclaim. The MCO also recorded extensively for CBC Records and Analekta, and appeared regularly on radio and television for CBC and Radio-Canada. Since 2005, the MCO is under the Artistic Direction of conductor Boris Brott, one of Canada’s most internationally renowned conductors. The orchestra is a vibrant ensemble consisting of the city’s best professional musicians.

The concert will be on Tuesday, November 27 at 7:30 pm; at Saint-John-Baptiste Church, 309 Rachel St. East. Tickets range from $10 – $75, and are available online at orchestre.ca or by phone at 514-487-5190