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Word from the Artistic Director

Dear Subscribers and Friends,

The Yiddish writer Issac Bashevis Singer wrote: “The very essence of literature is the war between emotions and intellect.” The same is certainly true about music. No other expression in life brings out emotional feelings like music. The word Emotion includes a broad repertoire of feelings, ranging from joy and happiness – to anguish and despair, from love, affection and devotion – to hate, fury and ferocity.

The OSQ 2010-11 season offers that kind of emotional and intellectual array. Mahler is known and admired for his unashamed emotional expression in his works. We join the rest of the world in celebrating the 100^th anniversary of Mahler’s death with performances of his Kindertotenlieder, the ‘Blumine’ and the mighty ‘Resurrection’ Symphony – with more than 300 participants on stage.

Our main subscription series - Grands Concerts will also include deep emotional works such as Tchaikovsky’s 5^th Symphony, Brahms’ 2^nd Symphony, Shostakovich’s 1^st Symphony and Schubert’s ‘Tragic’ Symphony – to name but a few. Jean-Marie Zeitouni, JoAnn Felletta and Christoph Campestrini will join me on the podium of the Grand Theatre during this series. Other renowned international soloists who will appear on our stage include pianists Louis Lortie, Janina Fialkowska, Alain Lefevre and Lise de la Salle, violinists James Ehnes and Darren Lowe, cellist Blair Lofgren as well as singers Susan Platts, Anita Kraus, Renée Lapointe and Ilana Davidson.

The greatest undertaking however, will be offered in our Hommage to Beethoven Simons series:
The full cycle of Beethoven’s symphonies plus his greatest concertos! Pianists Anton Kuerti, Angela Cheng, Joseph Kalichstein and violinist Catherine Dallaire will join me in this series, performing some of Beethoven most beloved concertos – in addition to his 8 symphonies. Those who subscribe to this series will also be able to hear his most adored work – the 9th Symphony, which ends the season and will conclude my 12 years tenure as Artistic Director and conductor of the OSQ.

Experience joy with the amazing Coups de foudre Hydro-Québec program series! Richard Desjardins symphonique, Lorraine Desmarais and her homage to Duke Ellington, Anne-Julie Caron plunged into a world of percussion and madness and Orford Six Pianos completely unbridled… Emotions guaranteed!

This season, our Musique du Monde series will take you to three countries: Poland, Armenia and Austria. In our Polish program, you will have a rare opportunity to hear the haunting ‘Symphony of Sorrowful Songs’ by Gorecki for soprano and orchestra. Our Assistant Conductor – Airat Ichmouratov will conduct a full and exciting program connected with Armenia: works by Khachaturian, Ippolitov-Ibanov and a composition on his own. The young Canadian conductor Julian Kuerti will devote his program to Austria, featuring our solo clarinettist Stéphane Fonataine with the beloved Mozart Clarinet Concerto.

This is the 12th and last program I am presenting to you - dear public of the OSQ. I hope you have enjoyed the music we served you during these fruitful years and that this music enriched, rewarded and fulfilled your life.     

YOAV TALMI

Yoav Talmi,
artistic director