Additional Information
The 19th edition of the Montreal International Bach Festival begins on November 15 and will continue until December 7. Beautiful concert offerings are once again proposed this year with important names such as Rudolf Lutz and the Saint-Gall Choir, a rarity on North American soil because, as the artistic director and founder Alexandra Scheibler says, they are Swiss, and anything coming from Switzerland is very expensive! Sergei Babayan is back after having withdrawn in 2023, then let’s welcome the visit of the superstar countertenor, Jakub Józef Orliński, whom we had received here at the very beginning of his career, when he was still relatively unknown. Also worth mentioning is Sammy Moussa, whom we now know quite well as a composer, but who is also a conductor. We don’t recall seeing him in this role here, so it will be very interesting to see him at work in Mendelssohn’s Elias, which we almost never hear, and even less in its German-sung version! Many other brilliant artists are on the bill, such as the amazing accordionist Thomas Ould, or the pianist of Iranian origin, Schaghajegh Nosrati, who stands out on disc in Bach’s Partitas. She will, in fact, play all six Partitas in one sitting, on November 26 at Bourgie Hall. We mustn’t forget the OFF-Bach series, which is free and relaxed, where big names present at the festival might play something for you for 15-20 minutes, after which you can have a glass of wine with them. In short, the festival is returning with its winning formula that combines exceptional quality with diversity and proximity. I talked about all of this with the founder and artistic director of the festival, Alexandra Scheibler.
