Interviews

Quasar’s first concert was given in November 1994, 30 years ago, 31 in two months. At the end of its 2024-25 season and at the dawn of its 2025-26 season, shortly before the saxophone quartet’s Montreal return to the Wilder on September 18 alongside the Basque trio Zukan, PAN M 360 suggested a retrospective interview to its members, in order to highlight this excellent ensemble, a bearer of creative music throughout the world and a promoter of our composers.

PAN M 360: The Quasar Quartet is celebrating its 30th anniversary. This has included several notable events for your 24-25 season. Which ones do each of you think they are?

Marie-Chantal Leclair: We kicked off the 2024-25 season with a fantastic tour of Lithuania and Sweden in the fall. The reunion with the Stockholm Saxophone Quartet here in Quebec, Sweden, for Project Saxoctet was memorable. In fact, the entire season was based on international exchanges, with Sweden (Saxoctet), Lithuania (Automn Festival), and Germany (aDevantgarde Festival). And above all, 11 premieres of works by composers from Quebec and the countries mentioned above. Eleven premieres that represent as many significant encounters with composers with whom we have had the pleasure of working.

Jean-Marc Bouchard: Phew! It’s been a busy season marked by international collaborations.
October 2024. First, a fantastic tour of Lithuania and Sweden in October; meeting composers, premiering new works, meeting new audiences, all under the banner of friendship and collaboration. In Sweden, we shared the stage with our friends from the Stockholm Saxophone Quartet with the “Saxoctet” project. A few weeks later, the “Saxoctet” project continued in Quebec with a three-concert tour, starting at the beautiful Bourgie Hall in Montreal and then Chicoutimi and Quebec City.


March 2025: Everything that scares me…, this production, which took place at the Espace Bleu du Wilder, was the Montreal revival of the concert presented in Lithuania in October. Three powerful works by Lithuanian composers and one by a Ukrainian composer. It was a significant and memorable artistic encounter.

May 2025: Third international encounter, and no less significant: Montreal-Munich. Six creations by three Quebec composers and three Bavarians. A big program, as they say, but how enriching! And the good news is, we’re reprising this program in Munich.

July 2025: Three major international collaboration projects, twenty-five concerts in Quebec, not to mention masterclasses, and film presentations. In short, a fantastically busy season.

PAN M 360: 30 years and the same alignment. We also imagine that friendship still reigns!

Marie-Chantal Leclair: Friendship, a deep attachment, even love, I would say!
Jean-Marc Bouchard: Gilles Vigneault said that “a friendship that ends is a friendship that never existed.” Friendship is alive, it constantly evolves, it adapts, it requires generosity and commitment. Yes, friendship always reigns.
Mathieu Leclair: Yes, of course, there were some heated discussions at times, but apparently we handled it well. Friendship and the pleasure of playing together are paramount, and that’s probably why we’re still together after 30 years.

André Leroux: Friendship and family spirit merge and evolve, swinging towards each other. In the end, despite differences and minor conflicts, we rely on the feeling of belonging to something greater than each of us and we remember the main reasons that motivate us.

PAN M 360: Could each of you share your thoughts on why you are a quartet?

Marie-Chantal Leclair: Creating works is our driving force, and it has always been since Concert 1 in 1994. Our process has evolved over time, but the mission hasn’t changed. Exploration, laboratory work, and the performer-composer tandem are at the heart of our approach. Sharing them with the audience, the stage, is also very important, and it gives meaning to all this work.

Jean-Marc Bouchard: Our raison d’être is a project: to create an original repertoire for our ensemble by working closely with composers of all generations, from here and elsewhere. To reach out to the public, to constantly offer the best of ourselves. To play music! To create an atmosphere that takes you on a journey and redefines the composer’s intention in an authentic way. The impression of being a soloist and in a group gives a powerful result.

Mathieu Leclair: Everyone contributes in their own way to moving the project forward, with their strengths, skills, and expertise. I think there’s a certain complementarity between the four members of the quartet, which allows everyone to find their place.

PAN M 360: Remind us of the first steps of Quasar

Marie-Chantal Leclair: I remember very well that first concert held on November 26, 1994, presented by Codes d’accès at the Monument National. It was a defining moment, our entry onto the Montreal new music scene. It gave us a tremendous boost. Our participation in the Gaudeamus Competition-Festival in Rotterdam in 1996 was also important because it opened us up to the world (pre-internet era, we will remember!). In the same vein, our participation in the Présence Festival in Paris in 1999 with the SMCQ was significant and marked the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration with the SMCQ, which continues today.

Jean-Marc Bouchard: Since college, I have been passionate about the saxophone quartet, the sound, the power, the intimate character of this group. It was like love at first sight and I still love this group which offers so many possibilities of timbres, nuances, colors etc…

Mathieu Leclair: A quartet project and an opportunity to present a concert (with Codes d’accès on November 25, 1994 at the Monument National). After that, things happened one after the other, slowly at first, but ultimately took up quite a bit of time. Over the years, we noticed that the summer vacation period was getting shorter.

PANM 360: How did each of you join the quartet?

Marie-Chantal Leclair: It was Jean-Marc (Bouchard) and I who initiated the quartet project, which Mathieu (Leclair) naturally joined. Since André and Jean-Marc studied at the same time, it was through this relationship that Jean-Marc recruited André (Leroux), so to speak.

Jean-Marc Bouchard: Marie-Chantal and I first formed a quartet with two university colleagues. The lineup changed when Mathieu became a member of the group. And then, finally, André joined us for the concert on November 25, 1994, replacing our tenor at the time. We’ve been together ever since! It’s been 30 years now.

André Leroux: Jean-Marc and I played in a quartet for 5 years at St-Laurent and at UdM until 1987. We developed a connection, having even been roommates… We met again around a pool table a few years later and I mentioned to him that I missed playing in the 4th. He told me at the end of the evening that it hadn’t fallen on deaf ears…

Mathieu Leclair: It’s a family affair, so my sister (Marie-Chantal), her boyfriend (Jean-Marc), and I were already quite close. André joined us for the first concert and he stayed!

PAN M 360: Family History! Spouses, brother, sister, and André. What more can be said about this relationship?

Marie-Chantal Leclair: Family history, certainly, many shared moments, moments of joy, more difficult moments too, it’s part of the “game”, but always this resilience, and strong bonds.

Jean-Marc Bouchard: They say that family businesses are the ones that last. This seems to be true in our case.

Mathieu Leclair: In fact, it’s a fairly classic story in both the cultural and business worlds (Steinberg, Ricardo Cuisine, Molson, there are many examples in Quebec!). Why change a winning formula?

André Leroux: Resilience and acceptance of our differences, as in any good family.

PAN M 360: What do each of you consider to be your own unique qualities as a performer within the quartet?

Marie-Chantal Leclair: I think I’m very committed when I play. I love playing! Also, I have a great attention to detail, to respecting the score. I can linger for a long time on the end of a phrase, to get the perfect sound, to work on the group attacks, the entrances. I listen very attentively. A bit of a maniac…

Jean-Marc Bouchard: Unconditional commitment. I always aim to do better, telling myself that if I do better, the whole team will do better.

André Leroux: Versatility and my adaptability; having worked as a freelancer in all musical spheres (or almost…), several reflexes in terms of aesthetics, rhythm and stage contexts seem natural, like a certain déjà vu.

Mathieu Leclair: Rigor and hard work. Presenting the various works on the program requires essential qualities. And teamwork.

PAN M 360: How do you handle the artistic direction and the selection of works for your programs? Does an artistic director decide after brainstorming? How does it work between the members and their artistic director?

Marie-Chantal Leclair: I am officially the artistic director. I make choices and proposals based on what I want for the quartet, but also based on a desire to serve and contribute to the new music community. I try to develop a program that is stimulating for the community and the public. All of these decisions are based on my life with the other members of the quartet.

It’s together that we’ve evolved aesthetically, developed the group’s sound, and its technical and expressive abilities, and it’s together that we meet the composers. Although they’re not part of the quartet, they’re part of our experience, our life. For me, it’s going well, I let the others answer! As Jean-Marc (baritone sax) is also my partner, we have a lot of artistic discussions, let’s say we bring work home… These exchanges have a great influence on my artistic choices.

Jean-Marc Bouchard: The artistic director is Marie-Chantal, there’s no doubt about it. Making artistic choices means having antennas, always being on the lookout, constantly informing yourself. It requires very specific qualities and she is gifted in this area. In addition to artistic direction, there is production, administration, work organization, communications. In short, everyone has plenty to keep them busy.

André Leroux: All members have their say on the pieces in the programs, but the artistic director of each program decides after some consultation.

Mathieu Leclair: We have a strong artistic director, and we get on board. Then we row everyone together to make sure we arrive safely. The artistic projects are daring, and the composers often challenge us. I’m thinking in particular of our latest projects, such as Chaleurs (Walter Boudreau), Thierry Tidrow’s musical theater, or “classics” such as Licks & Brains (Klas Tortensson) or Xas (Iannis Xenakis).

PAN M 360: Can we talk about cycles in the evolution of Quasar over 30 years?

Marie-Chantal Leclair: Yes, absolutely! However, the quartet’s main focus has always been new music and creation. When we started, we were four very young, recently graduated musicians with a lot of determination but very little experience, of course. Our processes have become much more refined, particularly with regard to supporting creation. This began in the early 2000s with the first edition of the Electro series, where we organized a first series of research and creation workshops with composers well in advance of the concerts. This marked a turning point in our way of working, and it now applies to practically all projects. Workshops and creative residencies are at the heart of our practice. Another cycle is that of developing the international component. This began with a first tour in 2006 and, since 2018, has also included co-productions, co-commissions, and exchanges, and it is very stimulating.

Jean-Marc Bouchard: Nothing comes to mind on this subject. I rather have the impression that things are moving forward inexorably. There are always new works to perform. We are constantly meeting new people. We are visiting new countries. In short, we are moving forward.

Mathieu Leclair: I think there’s more of a constant evolution. Today we have more resources and it’s possible to plan projects over a longer period. Although it’s not necessarily “easier,” we have experience that facilitates the implementation and realization of projects. Whether they’re large-scale projects, with other artists, tours…

André Leroux: Pouvez-vous répéter la question?

PAN M 360: What do you consider to be the most significant programs in your history?

Marie-Chantal Leclair: Licks & Brains, Chaleurs, Entre Nous, Ode au métal.
Jean-Marc Bouchard: The complete triptych Licks & Brains, by Swedish composer Klas Torstenson with the SMCQ ensemble and Walter Boudreau in 2003. And most recently the premiere of Chaleurs by Walter Boudreau, a colossal 50-minute work premiered on February 26, 2021 at the Pierre-Mercure Hall in Montreal. There have been many others…

André Leroux: Klaus Torstenson/SMCQ for the immensity of the challenge that brought us to the Conzert Geb in Amsterdam, Bach to Zappa for the travels and the diversity of the audiences, Chaleurs by Boudreau during the pandemic…

Mathieu Leclair: The first concert at the Monument National on November 25, 1994, the most stressful concert of my life. I almost wished for a car accident on the way to the concert hall to avoid it. My first trip to Europe for the Gaudeamus competition in Rotterdam. Wow, the Amsterdam train station. In short: Électrochocs (January 24, 2003 / start of a concert series that is still going); From Bach to Zappa, our classic, our Broue; Chaleurs; Entre nous; our collaborations with the Stockholm saxophone quartet, Licks & Brains with the entire SMCQ: A fire alarm during the intermission just before the big part with the whole ensemble. We came close to not playing in concert this undoubtedly significant work of these 30 years!

PAN M 360: What are each of you most proud of having accomplished in this quartet?

Marie-Chantal Leclair: What makes me most proud is the artistic project we carried out and realized. The new repertoire, carried by a collaborative process which, I humbly believe, has inspired others to work in this way. And ultimately to have contributed to positioning Montreal, Quebec, as a creative hub for music creation on an international scale.

Jean-Marc Bouchard: I am proud that we are still here, the same four people and still so committed to this magnificent project.

Mathieu Leclair: Building a long-term artistic project. A project that has resonated both in Montreal and abroad.

André Leroux: To inspire young artists to persevere and believe in their own voice, however marginal it may be.

PAN M 360: And there you have it! Your 30th anniversary is making a lasting impression on music lovers in Quebec! Thank you so much for your excellence and commitment.

NEXT QUASAR CONCERT, BROADCAST BY LE VIVIER AT THE WILDER, SEPTEMBER 18

@michaelbrun rocked Montreal as part of OFF @piknicmtl with a new stop on his Bayo tour! On August 22nd, he invited us to a unique event where Haitian, Caribbean, and house sounds came together for a memorable evening. Originally from Haiti, Michael Brun is an internationally recognized DJ and producer. For the past ten years, he has organized Bayo, a concert that has become a must-see in several major North American cities. To mark this decade of musical celebration, he has chosen to expand his tour with new dates, including a stop in Montreal. Keithy Antoine took advantage of this stop to get to know him better, as we are sure he will be back soon.

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Tallandskiinny is indeed tall and slender as her nickname indicates. An excellent DJ, she plays afrobeats, bailefunk, Congolese afro-electro, Haitian beats, soul, R&B, hip-hop, nothing escapes her! Interviewed by Félicité Couëlle-Brunet in Palomosa, Tallandskiinny introduces herself and invites us to dive into her trip which is only just beginning!

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After a little over 15 years at the helm of the Quebec City Summer Festival programming, Louis Bellavance is back with a new festival with a young and refreshing concept that has taken up residence in the neighborhoods of Laval University: the FONO festival, which will take place from September 11 to 13. In its second edition, and although primarily aimed at young students, FONO can also attract older students and children. We took the time to speak with Louis Bellavance at BLEUFEU headquarters to learn more about the festival’s programming and the atmosphere to expect.

This interview was conducted as part of a partnership with the Vitrine Culturelle, which includes the FONO festival in its extensive calendar.

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PAN M 360: How did you develop the idea for the FONO festival? Did the idea come from a specific impetus?

Louis Bellavance: BLEUFEU wanted to diversify, after St-Roch XP and Tobogan, so that our portfolio would be versatile and each event would be different, so that we could maintain a dialogue with the industry. This way, we have more opportunities to reach artists, regardless of the stage of their career. The FONO festival is our latest, and we needed another event in Quebec City to welcome impactful names. We searched for a long time, years in fact, until, in consultation with Université Laval, we discovered that it had the space and the desire to energize its campus and host a festival there.

PAN M 360: How would you define FONO’s artistic direction?

Louis Bellavance: The FONO Festival is the most “classic” of our products in our portfolio. It’s a festival that is in the vein of, if we can take the alpha in this range, Coachella, which generated Osheaga under the 3-day formula. So it’s not a niche metal or electro festival but it remains a popular, urban (pop, indie pop, indie rock, rock) and contemporary program (nostalgia is limited to 15-20 years back for FONO). We wanted to give an event to 18-24 year olds.

PAN M 360: As you have been at the helm of FEQ programming since 2011, how have you distinguished FONO?

Louis Bellavance: We have a much more directed orientation, compared to the FEQ with which we go as far as possible and in all directions haha! The changeovers are much longer (45 minutes) because we want people to walk around and see the other stages around since we have a classic/closed perimeter, which we don’t have at the FEQ. FONO is made to be in motion and there is a lot of attention paid to the event aspect. We want people from general admission to have the VIP treatment: we build structures, areas and experiences that would usually be reserved and we make them accessible to everyone. The artistic direction is a big bag, the FEQ when you look at it, it can seem like anything (Mariah Carey with Slipknot) with counter-programming which means we have a mini festival, a route for each person and there is no possible confusion since we have great oppositions like Rod Stewart and Alicia Cara haha!

PAN M 360: How did you develop this passion for musical programming, which you have specialized in for over twenty years?

Louis Bellavance: It will be thirty years in two years haha! Before the FEQ, I programmed the Francos, the Nuits d’Afrique, the International Jazz Festival in Montreal and I helped create the music department at Stingray! Before that, being a native of Rimouski, I started at Festi Jazz there in the late 90s. It was still a rather “atypical” path to get into music programming, there were only a few people and organizations working there! I always loved music, I make it myself and I come from a family where it was business, so I went to study administration. And my father, who was a big music lover, supported the administration of Festi Jazz so I started there as an administrator but along the way, we lost our programmer so I had to grab the ball and that’s what opened the door to music programming for me. It was destiny haha! Then I think it was my keen understanding of the business part of the word show business that made me stand out.

PAM M 360: The choices for your programming for this second edition are free and inspired: LOUD, Qualité Motel but also Kaya Hoax, Mint Simon and Been Stellar. Some names we know and others less so. What was your motto for 2025?

Louis Bellavance: At FONO, we want you to be excited by this lineup, even if you’re from New York or Paris. We’re really looking for artists who have strong credibility in their niche but who aren’t necessarily known here yet. Like, for example, the Irish band Amble, who just sold out a stadium in Dublin and are super popular in Europe. We also have Alice Merton; what she does is truly extraordinary, but it hasn’t completely landed here yet. I saw Been Stellar at a festival in Europe this summer and it was extraordinary, but not many people are talking about their coming to Quebec City haha! So it’s a bit daring, if I dare say so, and that’s why we also have well-known Quebecers to reassure people about their purchase. We balance the lineup between headliners, like Alex Warren, whose song Ordinary became one of the most streamed of the year, and discoveries!

PAN M 360: The festival takes place on the Laval University campus, but we’re not just targeting students, are we?

Louis Bellavance: Yes, the venues are huge and we have the opportunity to bring back alumni, students, international students and of course, people from Quebec who, via the bridges, can come and rediscover and reclaim the magnificent campus spaces. The challenge for this event is for the students to make it their own, but at the same time, we want people who are not from the university to think that it’s also for them. Last year, my kids LOVED it: they told me it was their favorite festival haha! So we’re going for both, hoping to reach as many people as possible!

PAN M 360: Are you already thinking about the third edition?

Louis Bellavance: Yes, absolutely! We already have offers for headliners, so we’re definitely there next year! We’re really excited about this project. It takes time to set up a festival and schedule several, haha, but it’s really a big and beautiful project!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FONO’S PROGRAMMING, CLICK HERE!

Polish acoustic guitar sensation Marcin Patrzałek will fill the Palais Montcalm for a second consecutive year. The rendezvous with Quebec music lovers is scheduled for this Saturday, September 13, as part of his Solo Dragon tour, which follows the album Dragon in Harmony, released in 2024.

A polystylistic virtuoso, he intersperses his interpretations with eighth notes and other technical feats. Highly accessible despite his extreme velocity, percussive acuity, and insane finger-picking, this 24-year-old musician aims to lead his audience down a highway marked by lively and spectacular eclecticism, yet paved with well-known references.

Marcin’s recordings and concerts are thus crossed by flamenco nuevo, metal (recently with guitarist RJ Pasin), grunge (Nirvana), jazz (Miles Davis), jazzy soul (Sade), classical soul (Bill Withers), modern classical music (Claude Debussy), romantic music (Bizet) or the Great American Songbook (Cry Me A River). He even does indie pop, having recorded with the voices of Delaney Bailey Hayato Sumino, Ichika Nito, and more.

An interview is necessary!

PAN M 360: We can describe you as a polystylistic virtuoso. You use different playing techniques; you’ve built your own technique. A very vast universe! How did you organize it?

Marcin: What I do technically is a very niche style. It’s sometimes very close to the bass, I also do several things. But what I’m best known for is my percussive way of playing the acoustic guitar. And it’s very niche, because most people who play this way don’t manage to go beyond the circles of initiates. I quickly realized that if I remained stuck in this circle, I wouldn’t be able to grow as an artist, so I became interested in several musical styles, I agreed to several collaborations. It was a must because people don’t listen to much instrumental music, except classical music or film music. Solo guitar remains an extreme niche.

PAN M 360: You talked about a percussive, finger-picking approach, and we’re thinking of Michael Hedges, Tommy Emmanuel, Andy McKee, and Adrian Legg, all of whom you’ve certainly listened to and observed closely.

Marcin: I love the artists you mentioned. Michael Hedges is the one who most developed the percussive side of the acoustic guitar, and many others have since developed this approach. Antoine Dufour excels in this style. When I was a teenager in Poland, I watched the best artists on YouTube while I was learning classical guitar and the works of Francisco Tarrega or Heitor Villa Lobos. I enjoyed it, but I felt like I was in a small circle, even if I won national competitions in Poland or even international competitions. I also felt like I had to focus on things that didn’t seem artistic to me, but rather mathematical or technical. I couldn’t see myself spending my life doing that, especially since the classical guitar repertoire seems very limited to me.

And then I explored flamenco, artists like Carlos Piñana and Yerai Cortés. Carlos Piñana, by the way, gave master classes in Poland, I had seen him play when I was 12 or 13. I was used to classical players and I discovered this proud musician, comfortable in his body, really cool. I went to one of his workshops, he liked my playing, he saw potential and gave me some scores that I then learned on my own, making mistakes. A year later, I played his piece Farruca for him remotely and he was impressed…

PAN M 360: Very interesting, because you don’t play with a flamenco guitar and you take up several elements of flamenco playing.

Marcin: It was very different from classical guitar, it was closer to electric guitar and much more percussive, that’s why I like it. But I’m not apologetic, I don’t claim to be part of anyone. This way of doing things seems academic to me.

PAN M 360: So let’s talk about your new concert. How will you present yourself on stage on September 13th at the Palais Montcalm?

Marcin: Last year I played at the Palais Montcalm, it was full and it was very good, I’m proud of it. Things have progressed since then, I have a production team at my side, my organization has more resources. I will be alone on stage, with a program that I am also very proud of. For me, the idea is to give the best show possible. I want to be original but I also have to give a show to the best of my abilities.

PAN M 360: How is the program constructed?

Marcin: This concert is called Art of Guitar. I play three different instruments.

First there is the percussive acoustic, that’s the main focus, to which I add the electric to play heavier stuff. There is also a nylon string part. I don’t play untouched flamenco or classical covers, I improvise from two pieces: the first is Capricho árabe by Tarrega followed by an improvisation session and then I play a new arrangement of Schubert’s Ave Maria. When I play the nylon part of Ave Maria you can feel the emotion that swells in the room!

PAN M 360: What is your primary goal in concert?

Marcin: My hope is that you can say when you leave the concert, “I’ve never heard anything like this before!” Fingers crossed.

TICKETS AND INFO HERE


The Ripon Trad Festival takes place from Thursday, September 11 to Sunday, September 14, right in the heart of the village, which has evidently become the epicenter of traditional music in the beautiful Petite-Nation region. Notably, the residents of Ripon open the doors of their homes and backyards to festival-goers for intimate concerts, adding a unique twist to the programming of Ripon Trad on its main stage. Ripon Trad is also a nonprofit organization formed by the local community, with leadership provided by the interviewees from PAN M 360, namely Martin Sabourin, president of the nonprofit, and his son Éloi Gagnon-Sabourin, artistic director of the event and also a member of the group Le Diable à Cinq – along with his brothers Samuel and Félix, as well as cousin André-Michel Dambremont and childhood friend Rémi Pagé. Besides Le Diable à Cinq, several groups from La Petite-Nation and other artists from outside are performing this year at the 6th Ripon Trad: Arc en Son (reunited after a very long break), Nicolas Pellerin and the Grands Hurleurs, the Trio Chant d’Elles, La Famille LeBlanc, Rose Latulipe, and Vishtèn are among the invited artists at Ripon Trad. It’s worth talking about!

INFO AND TICKETS HERE

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This content is the result of a partnership with La Vitrine culturelle, which announces the event of Ripon Trad.

The organization Code d’Accès has been around for 40 years in Montreal. Nevertheless, it is quite possible that you have not heard of it. That’s because his work, initially carried out by enthusiasts on a voluntary basis in the early years, and later professionalized, is focused on artists. Mentorship programs, career development assistance, etc. constitute a significant part of the activities. But there is of course a series of concerts and other public events, to which everyone is invited. And that too is important. Music lovers with adventurous ears can have exciting, surprising, and fascinating encounters there. On the occasion of Code d’Accès’s 40th anniversary and the launch of the 2025-2026 season accessible to the general public, I met with An Laurence, the organization’s Artistic Director (and also an artist and composer in experimental music), to talk to us about it.

CODE D’ACCÈS

With eight editions under its belt, the ninth edition of the Grandes Oreilles Festival is fast approaching and will be held on September 12, 13, and 14 on Laurier Avenue West and the surrounding area. Gunther Gamper, the festival’s general and artistic director, who is also a one-man band, shares the highlights of the program with us. This edition promises to be even more festive, as it will be held in collaboration with two key partners: the SDC Laurier Ouest and the Borough of Outremont.

PAN M 360: Before we begin, how was the name Grandes Oreilles chosen?

Gunther Gamper: It goes back a long way. We brainstormed ideas and came up with this expression that everyone knows. Since it’s a music festival, Grandes Oreilles made people smile while also referring to the expression “Open your ears wide!” And that’s what the festival is all about: introducing and offering musical diversity to parents and children in a festive atmosphere.

PAN M 360: And how did your involvement begin?

Gunther Gamper: I am the founder. I like to joke that I am the CEO, artistic director, and communications intern. I’m a one-man band, I do everything. To prepare for the 9th edition, I’m one and a quarter people: I have a communications intern and a logistics assistant who work a few hours. Right now, it’s a tiny team. Fortunately, I also have a board of directors and loyal partners.

PAN M 360: Tell us about your partners for this edition.

Gunther Gamper: We have two. A year and a half ago, I knew it was the 150th anniversary of the Fondation d’Outremont, and I suggested that we do something together to celebrate Outremont. I talked to several people about it, including the Borough of Outremont and the SDC Laurier Ouest, who are partners this year. We worked with them to create this big 150th anniversary celebration on Laurier Avenue West. Several things are happening for the first time this year: it’s the first time we’ve had such a large amount of funding, the largest budget since the first year; it’s the first time we’re not in a park but on a commercial street; and it’s the first time we have two partners, as we’ve always done previous editions on our own.

PAN M 360: What’s planned for the musical side of things?

Gunther Gamper: First of all, there are two brass bands: Urban Science Brass Band, which has ten members and will be playing on Saturday, and on Sunday we will have Burning BRASs Band, a group of women and non-binary people, also with ten members. In addition, there will be Waahli, who were supposed to participate in the 8th edition but unfortunately it rained. They will be a full band this time as we have a bigger budget. Then there’s DJ Poirier, who will be playing a two-hour set, and Sadio Sissokho, originally from Senegal, who will be performing a solo kora and vocal set. There’s also Imagicario, a company from Villeray-Parc Extension featuring giant puppets representing imaginary streetlights. There will also be performances by up-and-coming artists, a jazz combo from the University of Montreal, and, if all goes well, a performance by the winner of the 5th talent contest for 16-year-olds and under. This is the 5th edition of the contest. Finally, there will be craft workshops, dance workshops, including the Académie de danse d’Outremont, a surprise box dedicated to early childhood, and musical bicycles.

PAN M 360: So, there will be something for all ages and tastes?

Gunther Gamper: Exactly. The idea is that by offering different types of activities, everyone can have fun, regardless of what time they arrive or how old they are. No one will be bored.

PAN M 360: Is there a particular theme this year?

Gunther Gamper: It’s a music festival for the whole family. That’s really our focus.

PANM360: As a fan of Brazilian music, I noticed that there is Brazilian music at the festival launch.

Gunther Gamper: We are partners, but in the case of Diogo Ramos, it was presented by Outremont, but we consulted each other about it. Last year, I wanted to have Diogo Ramos, but there was a bit too much Latin music in previous editions, notably with Boogát and Ramon Chicharron.

PAN M 360: There’s another name that caught my eye in the lineup: Martha Wainwright, who is apparently from Outremont?

Gunther Gamper: Yes, it’s her 20th career anniversary, and it’s the tour for her very first album. She’s been touring with it for a year. She’ll be part of Friday’s double bill, the opening concert, presented by Outremont. The closing concert on Sunday evening will be presented by Grandes Oreilles, with Waahli and Imagicario, and the street lamps will be there during the performance.

PAN M 360: Do you have a backup plan in case of rain?

Gunther Gamper: Last year, we had the worst weather we’ve seen in eight years. We only managed to do two and a half hours, then we canceled as we went along, depending on what was happening. If it rains, we’ll announce it on all our social media channels. As there are three of us, you’ll need to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

PAN M 360: I also saw that Geneviève Borne will be hosting fashion shows as well?

Gunther Gamper: She will be hosting all three evenings. There will be a fashion show in collaboration with the M.A.D Festival and Manika Gaudet of Manik Fashion. The fashion component is for the 150th anniversary celebration and is presented by SDC Laurier Ouest. After the fashion show, there will be a musical performance by DJ Jesse Mac Cormack, featuring a mix of pop, electro, and techno.

PAN M 360: We wish you pleasant temperatures! And long live this festival.

Gunther Gamper: Thank you. Come one, come all!

Photo of Urban Science Brass Band

Within the weird experimental post-rock world of Montreal, Yoo Doo Right and Population II have been holding a wicked court through live shows and heavy albums—somewhat independently from each other. Now they have a collaborative project, You II Avec Nolan Potter.

As the name suggests, they paired up with Austin, Texas’ wacko multi-instrumentalist, Nolan Potter (Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band) for a two-hour impromptu madness recording session during this year’s SXSW. The result is a bit of krautrock-inspired insanity with a dash of free jazz noise. We spoke with Nolan Potter about this collaboration and its influences ahead of their “secret” show at the legendary FME.

PAN M 360: How did you meet up with the Yoo Doo Right and Pop II boys, and what led to this improvised album? 

Nolan Potter: I’ve been friends with Pop II for several years. We met on tour in the States when we were both signed to Castle Face Records. We found we had a lot in common in terms of obscure musical tastes. I’d also been aware of Yoo Doo for a while as like-minded musicians, and SXSW finally allowed me to see them. Absolutely bonkers.

PAN M 360: Was there always the idea to make this into an album or just a jam? 

Nolan Potter: I definitely didn’t think it would be getting the full LP treatment on the day we recorded. I’ve done a lot of improvised recording projects, and they usually end up as Bandcamp-only releases, a fun diversion from writing and obsessing over details. But it was clear as soon as we hit record that something special was happening.

PAN M 360: You’re a multi-instrumentalist, but how did you decide what to play and add in each song (flute, saxophone, organ, etc)

Nolan Potter: On the day of the session, Tristan (Pop II) and Justin (Yoo Doo Right) had the guitars and keyboards fully covered. I looked around at what I had at the studio and thought wind instruments would be a nice addition and a departure from the styles of both bands. There’s a bit of a nod towards the electric era of Miles Davis that we all love too. I don’t really know how to play saxophone very well, but that ignorance led to some interesting choices.

PAN M 360: Where did the song titles come from? You wanted that French style since they’re both based in Montreal?

Nolan Potter: We struggled a bit coming up with a unifying theme for everything since it’s an almost entirely instrumental record. Do we give the songs silly names? Do we just number them? Track 1, 2, 3, etc? All credit to Pierre-Luc from Pop II for nailing down the titles and concept. It’s loosely based on the story of a doomed French explorer whose journey ties us all together geographically. The movie that plays in my mind is like The Revenant meets Aguirre, the Wrath of God. And yes personally I always wanted the titles to be mostly French. I wanted to do as little as possible to assert American influence on this project.

PAN M 360: Did you guys talk music influences, or just plug in and play?


Nolan Potter: Over the years, Pop II and I have spent hours talking about musical influences. Any time I’m with them I’m constantly taking notes on what I should be listening to. When I met Justin and John from YDR it was clear we were on that wavelength as well. As a huge Can nerd their name alone told me we were on the same team.

PAN M 360: Can you talk about the vibe in the room during the recording process?


Nolan Potter: It was heavy! My experience of “jam sessions” in the States is that it’s a generally very loose process that emphasizes fun over the finished product. This was not that. This was like being on a Viking longboat. The two bands were pushing and pulling in sync and extracting incredible sounds out of the air. We took advantage of every single minute in the studio and took no prisoners.


PAN M 360: Were there any overdubs on You II, or is this 100% improvised? 


Nolan Potter: I would say 90% of what you hear is improv. We added more layers remotely from our home studios. But the most fun for me was the editing. We had 90 minutes of music and had to get it down to 45. Cutting the tracks down is when I started to feel the album come to life, like a statue from a block of marble. It’s like time travel honestly, looking back at momentary, improvised decisions and making edits in the present that bring the best moments to the forefront. You can surprise yourself this way.

PAN M 360: With every band being “successful” in their respective hometowns and genres, were there any egos in the room? 


Nolan Potter: Not from my perspective! I can have a big personality in the studio, but was being very careful as the lone American in the band to not trample on the delicate nature of what we were doing. I have a massive amount of respect for both of these groups, and they’re honestly the sweetest guys.

PAN M 360: And now you’re about to play this Yoo II album live. Is that also going to be quite improvised? 

Nolan Potter: Yes and no. I think we’re all very attached to the way the album turned out. It seemed to write itself. It was an inevitability. That being said, there’s a lot of room to improvise within that framework, and some of the jams deserve to be way longer than what can fit on an LP. So we will stretch and expand, react to one another and see what happens!

photo by Rose Cormier

On September 24, 2025, the premiere of the show Les veilleuses (the watchkeepers) will take place at Bourgie Hall of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, as part of the Arts Crossroads series. A cross, indeed, between choreographic art and music, between dancers and singers, in order to embody a feminine universe made of empathy and symbolism. Nine women, some from the world of opera, others from the world of dance, will bring to life a musical score based on a mediaeval song whose origins are lost in history, Blanche comme la neige (White as Snow). From there, the duo composed of Romain Camiolo for the music and Simon Renaud for the choreography built a 75-minute show, the origins, meaning, and various details of which they explain to us in this interview.

Artists :

Marie-Hélène Bellavance, Nasim Lootij, Ingrid Vallus, dancers

Marie-Annick Béliveau, Salomé Karam, Kathy Kennedy, Elizabeth Lima, Hélène Picard, Ellen Wieser, singers

A co-production of Amour Amour, Salle Bourgie, Chants Libres, and Corpuscule Danse

DETAILS AND TICKETS FOR THE NIGHT WATCH

Complete version (in French)

Excerpt 1 (What is it about?)

Excerpt 2 (the music)

The Saint-Grégoire Concerts adventure continues on Sunday, September 14, at 3 PM, in a concert hall set up at Ferme Cadet Roussel of Mont-Saint-Grégoire. The artistic director of this summer series and renowned violinist Emmanuel Vukovich will perform alongside pianist (and conductor) Maria Fuller, originally from Saskatchewan and now based in Calgary. The two performers will showcase their talent in piano-violin works by Belà Bartok and Maurice Ravel, after premiering a work by American composer Sheila Silver, based in Hudson, New York: Resilient Earth Duos is a musical evocation of current environmental issues and Sheila Silver’s unwavering love for nature and Mother Earth. To better understand this approach, Alain Brunet talks here with the composer and her two performers.

PROGRAMME :

Resilient Earth Duos – Sheila Silver (world premiere)
Romanian Folk Dances – Béla Bartók
Rhapsody No. 1 – Béla Bartók
Gypsy Rhapsody for Concert – Maurice Ravel

MUSICIANS:

Maria Fuller – piano
Emmanuel Vukovich – violin

INFOS HERE

Tommy Crane may have grown up in Saint-Louis, then lived in New York, but it is in Montreal that the drummer seems to have really settled down. Proof of this is the album entitled The Isle, which is directly inspired by his adopted city, and for which the drummer, accompanied by his friend David Binney on saxophone (a guy from Los Angeles who loves our metropolis just as much), wrote instrumental pieces with titles such as The Plateau, Lazy Day Jarry, Canal Moms, Snow in Verdun, etc. The two musicians are supported by some of the big names in Montreal’s indie rock-jazz-alt-improv-underground scene: Dave Gossage (flute), Thomas Carbou (guitar), Parker Shper (piano), Levi Dover (bass/double bass). The Isle, although supported by these luminairies of improvisation sometimes ardent, even violently intense, is rather bathed in a soft light and a relaxed, laid-back energy.

READ THE REVIEW OF THE ISLE HERE

It’s a bit because Montreal has a beneficial effect on Crane and his friend Binney. I talked about the album, Montreal, and other things with Tommy Crane. The perfect opportunity to get to know this artist better, who arrived here shortly before the pandemic, settled here permanently, and is already one of the most sought-after artists in the Montreal ecosystem.

Tommy Crane will be with Simon Angell (from Thus Owls) on September 20th, at 180g café.

He will also play the music from his album Dance Music for All Occasions on September 30 at P’tit Ours.

The interview is divided into three parts

Part 1: INTERVIEW Tommy Crane (album: The Isle) – Who is Tommy Crane?

Partie 2 : INTERVIEW Tommy Crane (album : The Isle) – Why The Isle at this moment?

Part 3: INTERVIEW Tommy Crane (album: The Isle) – Evocations of Mtl

Complete interview

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