Interviews

Eight-time Grammy winner Emanuel Ax is back in Montreal with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. This time he will be performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3, considered the most technically difficult piano concerto with orchestra by Beethoven. Also, it is perceived as a real transition from classical aesthetics to Romanticism. Alain Brunet spoke to Emanuel Ax and learned he is a real Montreal lover, super respectful of Quebec culture, and also a football and tennis fan! Since his debut, Emanuel Axe has played in MTL, so he has worked with many of its great maestros; now he is coupled with Rafael Payare with MSO. And of course, his comments on the Concerto No. 3 and the way he approaches Beethoven are quite nourishing.  

TICKETS & INFOS FOR CONCERTS – MAISON SYMPHONIQUE, JANUARY 15 & 17

PAN M 360 : So, I’m very pleased to talk with you regarding this Beethoven’s Concerto No. 3. What is your approach to this specific concerto, what is your historical relationship with it and where are you now.

Emanuel Ax : It’s a beautiful concerto. Well, I’ve been playing it for about 40 years now. 

My viewpoint on it has changed, but only in small ways. It’s a very dramatic piece, and that one hears immediately. So, nothing will change in that sense.

PAN M 360 : But some details changed over the years. Can you just give us some cues? The way your interpretation did have a sort of evolution through the decades.

Emanuel Ax : I don’t know that it’s a matter of time. One of the ways that the interpretation changes is with the conductors and the orchestras that you play with. So, I recorded this piece, I think, in the ’90s with André Previn and the Royal Philharmonic. And I then re-recorded it about 25 or 30 years later with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony. And I’ve played it with almost every orchestra that I’ve played with in my life. 

I just did it with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin about two and a half months ago. And I’ve done it before with Yannick, a very dramatic, energetic and inspiring conductor. 

PAN M 360 : So, the relationship between you and the conductor is crucial for the delivery itself. 

Emanuel Ax : Absolutely, of course. It’s a whole different experience, especially in pieces like Beethoven’s Piano Concertos or Mozart’s Piano Concertos. You really are part of the total performance and not separate from the orchestra and the conductor.

PAN M 360: So, therefore, the way you approach the piece will change every week. Is it more important, this relationship between you, the conductor and the orchestra, than your own way of evolving through this piece?

Emanuel Ax: I would say both, because in the ideal world, what you bring to the piece will also be absorbed by the conductor and the orchestra. So, when we have a rehearsal, we listen to each other and we come up with, I hope, a unified interpretation, which requires a kind of good listening collaboration on both sides.  

PAN M 360 : So, this time in MTL you will be coupled with Rafael Payare and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.  

Emanuel Ax : Yes. I played with Rafael, actually, only a month ago, I did some Mozart with him in Japan, with the NHK Symphony in Tokyo.Also, I played with him for his debut with the New York Philharmonic a couple of years ago. So, we know each other quite well now.

PAN M 360 : Can you just give us some hints about the way you approach this third concerto of Beethoven with him? And now there will be a new relationship with him and the Montreal Symphony?

Emanuel Ax :   I haven’t done the Beethoven Third Concerto with him yet. But I’m sure that he will make it very, very dramatic in the first movement. And he’ll be lots of fun in the last movement. 

PAN M 360 : What is your Payare’s perception as a human being?

Emanuel Ax :  He’s a very sensitive and warm-hearted person. I feel that very much from him. And that, of course, makes it, you know, so much of the relationship has to do with personal feelings.  You know, he has a big heart. His heart is as big as his hair! And of course, he’s an excellent musician. So, the combination of the two, I always look forward to seeing him and to being with him. And so, I think, I hope we’ll have a wonderful time as usual.

PAN M 360 : Music is always a fantastic meeting point  for artists from different cultures. You have a Galician/Ukrainain/Polish/Jewish background and Rafael has an Afro-Descendant and Metis  Venezuelan background, and you share Beethoven! Nowadays, we need so much of those peaceful and enlightening experiences provided by music.

Emanuel Ax :  Yeah, music for me is, well, first of all, it’s kind of my religion because I’m not religious. But especially in our crazy world now, for me, I’m very lucky to be able to focus on something that I love and on something that I believe is a good thing. You know, I find it very hard these days to watch the news. I watch sports on television. 

PAN M 360 : Really?! So, what sport are you watching?

Emanuel Ax : Well, my wife and I are big tennis fans. So, we follow that, but also American football.  I know the NFL, but also the CFL, because I came to Winnipeg when I was 10 years old. So I knew the Blue Bombers  , and I also followed the Montreal Alouettes. So, you know, we know a little bit about that, like the CFL’s bigger field. But you have a longer field than we do.

PAN M 360 : So cool!  Well, you know, I think the level is still lower than the NFL.

Emanuel Ax : But some great players performed in the CFL!

PAN M 360 : Of course! Warren Moon played for Edmonton Eskimos before playing at Houston, Joe Theisman played with Toronto’s Argonauts before Washington Redskins, Doug Flutie had a great career at Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto before being successful at Buffalo, San Diego and New England. Anyways, we’re both football fans !

Emanuel Ax: Yes!

PAN M 360 : Back to Beethoven, this No 3 concerto is very different from the two firsts. The two firsts were very close,  some say  closer to Mozart aesthetics

Emanuel Ax : I think each one of the five is a very different and individual kind of piece. You know, one thing about Beethoven that’s remarkable is that almost all of his music, everything is very individual. And it’s difficult to talk about, you know, the sonatas are like this or the concertos are like this. There are always experiments. There are always special things about each piece. And the third Concerto, of course, is the most virtuosic until that time, first of all.

Probably the most dramatic, compared, in a way, compared no 1 and no 2, it’s more, one could say, just more romantic in feeling. Not  Romantic period, but more about, a little bit more about the individual sometimes exploding from the orchestra. And, of course, the second movement is unbelievably inward, again, very romantic in feeling, I find.

So it’s different from the romantic period. You know, there’s a romantic period, of course, when we talk about Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, and so forth. But there’s also a romantic feeling, for example, the second movement of the fifth concerto.

And I find the second movement of this concerto. And, of course, the last movement is just an incredible study in brilliance with more difficulty than I think anybody ever thought of before. He was his first, he was most famous at the beginning as a great pianist, not a great composer. That came later. 

PAN M 360 : Yeah he was a great pianist and a great improviser too.

Emanuel Ax : Exactly.  So all the cadenzas for the concertos, of course,  are unbelievably inspired and brilliant. And probably a kind of improvisation that he then put together a little bit, you know. It’s just, it’s mind-blowing, actually.

PAN M 360 : Yes, it is. He was such a revolutionary guy at this time. 

Emanuel Ax : Yes. He changed all the things behind him. So it’s always a thrill to practice and to play any of these pieces. I think, of course, I will never be tired of it. But I think also the public is never tired of it. No. The public loves Beethoven as often as it’s there.

PAN M 360 : How do you describe your rapport with Beethoven among all hia pieces you’ve been performing? 

Emanuel Ax : I don’t think there’s a hierarchy. But I think no musician can make music without somehow connecting to Beethoven. Some people hated him. Some people worshipped him. But after Beethoven, everybody took him into account. You know, there’s no… Ravel hated Beethoven, but he knew Beethoven. So, you know, there’s always a reaction to him. But most of the people love him. 

PAN M 360 : On the other hand, some clearly prefer him to Mozart…

Emanuel Ax :  Yes, but Mozart is, in some ways, less controversial. However, I think Mozart was one of the greatest geniuses of all time because everything came so freely and so easily.  He worked hard, but his capacity was just limitless. And I think we can maybe understand Beethoven a little bit better even though he was such a genius, because he really did change things and work on things. And, you know, you can see in the sketches and in the autographs, he changed this or he changed that. And this was better after. With Mozart, it was all in the brain because when he put it on paper, he didn’t change anything. 

PAN M 360 : Yeah, this reminds me the difference between Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. When I interviewed Cohen a long time ago, he told me that once he met Dylan and told him that he was working on a new song for weeks and Dylan answered that he spent a couple of hours. Anyways, only the result counts …And to every pianist, in some ways, Beethoven is central to their life. 

Emanuel Ax :  Sure.  

PAN M 360 :  So it’s a new coming in Montreal where you performed many times. I understand that you have a very warm relationship with Quebec and Montreal. 

Emanuel Ax : Well, I think it’s one of the most wonderful cities in the world! I love the language, but  I have to admit, my French is more oriented to speaking French from France. A lot of the Quebec accent it’s difficult for me. Well, it’s a different sound and so, sometimes,  I just find it difficult to understand. It was a sort of… That’s not the fault of the Quebec people. That’s my fault. Anyway, I love the food in Montreal. I love everything about it.

And of course, I love the orchestras. I’ve been coming to the orchestras for almost 40 years now. With all the maestros. With maestros Charles Dutoit, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Kent Nagano or Rafael Payare. I still remember my first time with MSO with the late (guest)  conductor Emil Tchakarov!

PAN M 360 : A long time ago!

Emanuel Ax : Of course, now I’m probably on a  third generation of the orchestra since my beginnings in Montreal. Yeah, well, you know, piano and longevity are brothers, you know. I hope so. Well, you know… I’m 76 now. And that’s pretty old.

PAN M 360 : But we also know that pianists can last long!  You are one of the brilliant examples!  

Emanuel Ax : Thank you . And I hope people will forgive me for all the wrong notes that I play now as an old man (haha). So I hope it will be fun,  nice for people.

Artists

Rafael Payare, conductor

Emanuel Ax, piano

Program

Isabella Gellis, Invitations – Premiere – OSM commission 🍁

Ludwig Van Beethoven, Concerto for Piano No. 3, Op. 37 (34 min)

Intermission (20 min)

Sergei Prokofiev, Symphony No. 5, Op. 100 (46 min)


Flûte passion is the banner par excellence of flutist Nadia Labrie, who has been using it to label her recordings for many years, both at Analekta and ATMA Classique. which encouraged her to bring together works by French pianist and composer Claude Bolling (1930-2020) in a 3-CD box set entitled Flûte Passion: Hommage à Claude Bolling. Accompanied by Jonathan Turgeon, Dominic Girard, Bernard Riche, and Hugo Larenas, the musician performs iconic works by French jazz musician Claude Bolling, commissioned by Jean-Pierre Rampal, then one of the most eminent classical flutists on the planet. This is another opportunity to contemplate the fusion between Western classical music and modern jazz… and to discuss it with Nadia Labrie. Alain Brunet met with her.

He’s not Ivorian, but he still wanted to pay tribute to African football icon Didier Drogba in his second single as a solo artist. Mahakwe, a French-Nigerian based in Lyon, chose the Africa Cup of Nations period to release the track “Drogba.” A marketing ploy or a simple coincidence? A bit of both. What’s certain is that this song is likely to become an anthem for African football, and its catchy rhythm is sure to get everyone talking. After a football career and an injury that forced him to leave the sport, he turned to music and never looked back. Our journalist Sandra Gasana spoke with Mahakwe live from Lyon, right in the middle of the Nigeria-Algeria match.






Walla P lives and breathes groove. His love for funk, soul, and disco is pure, eternal, and particularly contagious when he talks about it. On a cold January afternoon, his voice resonates with enthusiasm, his gestures filling the small screen. As he reveals the secrets of a life as a professional music lover, it becomes clear why his project, Voyage Funktastique, has garnered so much acclaim. Carefully curated, this series of events, this label, and this radio show constantly exude a vibrant energy, a welcome escape from the Montreal winters where Voyage Funktastique was born. Ahead of his concert at the Dômesicle on the night of January 17-18, Walla P reflects on the venue’s influence, his hip-hop philosophy, and shares some of the secrets that have made him a key figure in the nightlife scene.

TICKETS AND INFO HERE

PAN M 360: You are the founder of Voyage Funktastique, a monthly party firmly established in Montreal for over ten years. Can you tell us about the project and what brings you to participate in Dômesicle today?

Walla P : Voyage Funktastique has existed since November 8, 2013. Originally, it was a monthly event in Montreal, and it still is today. The idea has always been to play music that grooves, that funks, that makes you dance, but that also remains very sophisticated. Tracks that aren’t necessarily easy to find, but that are still very physical, very visceral.

Over time, the project has taken different forms: the party, the radio show, and the label, all under the same name. The label has existed since 2015. It’s all part of the same universe.

For me, it’s an interesting context, because the SAT dome is a special, immersive space that requires a different kind of attention, both in terms of sound and visuals.

PAN M 360: Do you prepare your sets in advance or do you work more through improvisation?

Walla P : To be honest, I never plan anything. It’s always based on feeling. I don’t like to put myself in a box, like in sports, with a fixed strategy. Because if it doesn’t work, you’re left without a solution.

Whether it’s a digital or vinyl set, I always work the same way. Of course, I have a mental outline of what I’d like to play, but I never make a fixed list like “song 1, 2, 3, 4.” I often discover the transitions on the spot, sometimes even just before playing them in front of the audience.

For Dômesicle, it will probably be digital on a CDJ, even though I prefer playing with records. I also play with Alina de Ferias, so I’ll be drawing inspiration from what she’s doing. It’s an exchange. I like discovering what sounds good to my ear and testing it almost immediately in the venue. That’s what keeps things fresh, both for me and for the audience.

PAN M 360: You often talk about sequences and context. How does this influence your playing style?

Walla P : There are certain sequences that I know almost always work, but I don’t really like repeating them. I try to avoid doing the same thing night after night.

There are also songs that people love and that you know they’re waiting for, but often I don’t play them when they expect me to. I like to delay it a bit, keep it a surprise.

Everything is very situational. Like wine. You can drink the same bottle at home and find it incredible, then drink it somewhere else with other people and experience something completely different. For me, music is exactly the same.

PAN M 360: You are known for your musical research. How do you approach crate digging and record selection?

Walla P : I was buying records even before I started DJing, back when I was mostly doing hip-hop and sampling, around 2004–2005. At first, it was mostly the album covers that attracted me. Over time, you develop other habits: the labels, the musicians, the studios, the credits in the liner notes. You see, for example, a bassist like Ron Carter who played on a record in 1972, then you find him on another project in 1979 or 1982 on a different label. You figure that if his bass lines were good at one time, they’ll probably be good elsewhere too.

I’m very interested in labels, in the years, especially between 1979 and 1987, and in the connections between records. I’ve always said that I buy records to play them with other records. It’s rare that I buy a completely isolated record, an anomaly, because otherwise you have to buy several others to be able to contextualize it.

With 45s, it’s even more instinctive because there’s so little information. You develop a knack for it: a label color, a typeface, a visual detail. Often, you can’t even listen to the record right there. You take a risk, and the surprise arrives at home.

PAN M 360: You often talk about maturity and time in your relationship with music. Can you explain that?

Walla P : I often try to explain to younger people that you might listen to a record today and find it okay, nothing more. But maybe in five years, you’ll love it.

It comes with experience. I bought hip-hop records that I didn’t understand at the time, and five or ten years later, I rediscover them and wonder why I didn’t listen to them sooner.

When I was a teenager, I listened almost exclusively to hip-hop. Anything jazz or soul didn’t interest me. Today, it’s almost the opposite. It’s taught me a kind of humility: just because you don’t like something now doesn’t mean you never will.

PAN M 360: Does your relationship with a record change when you play it in front of an audience?

Walla P : Absolutely. There are records I’ve been listening to for ten years and I’m still discovering details when I play them in public, depending on the sound system, the venue or the environment.

There are also very technical aspects: some records are well pressed, others very poorly. Styrene 45s, especially those produced in the United States between 1979 and 1983, wear out extremely quickly. After a few plays, certain frequencies disappear. You have to adapt the way you play them.

But beyond that, context is key. Some records work very well in one specific venue and not at all in another. The higher the ceilings, the more records I find difficult to play. Some pieces require intimacy, a small audience, attentive listening.

A song might work in front of 2,000 people at Igloofest, but completely lose its impact in front of 50 people in a more intimate setting. I’ve tested these things. It’s not just theoretical.

PAN M 360: The dome is a very unique immersive space. How do you approach it?

Walla P : I’ve been lucky enough to play there several times, both when it was packed and during COVID, with a very reduced capacity. Each time, I approached the set in a completely different way.

What I love about the dome is the visual immersion. For me, the music has to be in sync with what’s happening on the ceiling, with the projections. Everything has to work together. It’s a challenge, but a stimulating one.

I’m going to stay true to what I do. I’m not going to try to play something that isn’t me, even though I also play house music. If I’m having fun, the audience will have fun. If I’m not having fun, I can’t be the vehicle that transmits the music.

It might be a little selfish, but that’s always worked for me.

PAN M 360: You have a very strong vision of the role of the DJ and of ethics. How would you define it?

Walla P : For me, I am not the author. I am the messenger. The music is popular, not me. I did not create the art.

A DJ who becomes popular thanks to someone else’s art without acknowledging that person—I find that a strange relationship. It’s like taking a book written by someone else and claiming it as your story.

I come from a 90s hip-hop ethic, where respect for elders is fundamental. You don’t put yourself before the art. You acknowledge those who created before you.

There are a few DJs with whom I share this vision, like Aerosol, Chris Guilty, and Lexis. We’re on the same wavelength. The art doesn’t belong to me because I bought it. I didn’t create this music. I’m just passing it on, that’s all.

PAN M 360: To conclude, are there any upcoming projects that particularly excite you?

Walla P :I’m trying not to plan as far ahead as I used to. I worked for a long time with short-, medium-, and long-term plans, but now I’m more in the moment. There are still some releases coming up on the label, including an album with Bes Kept and Teddy Bryant. The Voyage Funktastique evening continues at the Belmont. The radio station is on hiatus for the time being, perhaps awaiting a new platform.

There are also trips, tours in Europe, possibly Japan and Brazil, always with Dr. Mad, who has co-founded Voyage Funktastique with me since 2013. And then there’s life around it: a restaurant to manage, other responsibilities. Everything is going well, quietly.

In February 2024, the Drummondville Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Julien Proulx, launched the first symphonic project dedicated to the repertoire of Benoit Pinette, also known as Tire le coyote. Two years have passed since the experience was revived by the OSD and TLC, this time at the Maison symphonique, on Friday, January 9, at 8 p.m. It should be noted that the excellent Innu soprano Elizabeth St-Gelais is invited to perform several pieces with Tire le coyote. Julien Proulx will also be conducting the Quebec Symphony Orchestra for the same program, presented on March 4 at the Grand Théâtre de Québec. On the eve of rehearsals, Benoit Pinette graciously agreed to the following interview, conducted by Alain Brunet.

TICKETS AND INFO HERE

Artists:

  • Tire le coyote
  • Élisabeth St-Gelais, soprano
  • Orchestre symphonique de Drummondville
  • Conductor: Julien Proulx
  • Arrangements Gabriel Desjardins

To kick off 2026, what could be better than a jazz concert where improvisation takes center stage? That’s precisely what Damián Birbrier, the half-Argentine, half-Brazilian saxophonist, offers in his project “Aguas: Time and Memories.” For this occasion, he will be accompanied by Vovô Saramanda on percussion, Manoel Vieira on piano and accordion, and Antoine Rocherfort on double bass. Damián has a special connection with water, as it has been the common thread throughout his family’s many moves over generations. To this, he adds the concepts of time and memory to trace his multiple identities through improvised music. In fact, an album of his latest live concert in a trio format with Vovô and Antoine is in the works and will be released soon. Our journalist Sandra Gasana spoke with him a few days before the concert which will take place on Thursday, January 8 at Casa del Popolo starting at 8 p.m.






On January 10, SAT will kick off the Dômesicle winter series with a program of “hypnotic techno” featuring Fahad Ahmad aka Measure Divide, founder of Toronto’s electronic music collective FORMAT, alongside MTL DJs Mike Larry and Xia.

“A pillar of Toronto’s underground scene for over a decade and founder of the FORMAT collective, Measure Divide will deliver intricate, hard-hitting techno with unconventional arrangements. Montreal-based DJs Mike Larry and Xia will captivate the dancefloor—Mike with his marathon set blending frenetic beats and trance, Xia with her eclectic, ethereal, and psychedelic approach.

A night of pure techno that promises to transport you to another dimension.”

PAN M 360 editor Alain Brunet could interview Measure Divide before his coming in MTL. Here is the conversation !

*Pass through our doors before 11pm and benefit from preferential rates (limited quantity).
ticket scanning at the SAT entrance must be done before the deadline indicated on your ticket
please anticipate the possible wait at the entrance and the related scan times
our staff will not be held responsible for any delays
latecomers will pay the difference with the Last Chance rate

TICKETS & INFOS HERE

Publicité panam

Initiated and still led by Le Vent du Nord, the Eve of the Pre-Vigil has become a Montreal tradition. The 2025 edition will, of course, feature Le Vent du Nord on stage, but also Le Diable à Cinq, the maternal blessing of Marilyn Castonguay, and much more: three hours of dancing under the guidance of the Aucoin Family. From Lévis and Bellechasse County, this clan has established itself among the best groups dedicated to traditional dance evenings. For their grooves, for their soloists Sabin Jacques (accordion) and Martin Aucoin (violin), for the harmonic support of Rachel Aucoin (piano), for the caller and violinist Capucine Maldague, and more, the dancing promises to be wild at Club Soda on Tuesday, December 30, from 7:30 p.m. until 1:30 a.m. the following morning!

TICKETS AND INFO HERE

Publicité panam

Killing two birds with one stone, that’s a bit of the result of the recent release of a new album of contemporary Quebec music, Chronos, Kaïros, and Aiôn (READ THE REVIEW HERE). It’s a very young string quartet (formed in 2024) that performs three works by as many Montreal composers, moreover on a new label created for the occasion, Mnémosyne. And since everything is somehow linked, one of the composers featured on the album’s program, Louis-Michel Tougas, is also the founder of the label in question. At the end of 2025, this is not only a beautiful gift for the next generation of creative music, but also a promising initiative as the protagonists announce many other projects in 2026. PANM360 wanted to learn more and brought together the composer and label founder Louis-Michel Tougas, as well as the violinist Meggie Lacombe, a member of the Quatuor Mémoire, to talk about all of this.

READ THE REVIEW OF THE ALBUM CHRONOS, KAIROS, AND AIÔN

PANM360: Hello to both of you. Let’s start with the Quartet. What inspired you to form a string quartet, Meggie, and what is your mission?

Meggie Lacombe: Our mission is the creation of contemporary music. In fact, Audréanne (Filion, cello) and I met at the Montreal Conservatory of Music. We were quite interested in contemporary music. Then we had the idea, during our master’s, of maybe one day having a contemporary music quartet. Then, at McGill, I met Bailey (Wantush, violin) who also specialises in contemporary music. After that, we heard about Marilou (Lepage, viola) and we decided to build this project together.

PANM360: It’s music that has been calling out to you for a long time… Why?

Meggie Lacombe: We each have our reasons, of course. As far as I’m concerned, what I really like about contemporary music is the search for different textures, different sounds. The search for music that breaks from tradition, that is quite different. So, it’s both discovering, but also, I would say, deepening my knowledge. It is also music that opens up the possibility of combining with other artistic mediums.

PANM360: Contemporary music is a very broad label. Do you plan to cover all genres, Avant-garde/experimental, Minimalism, Neo-romanticism, etc.?

Meggie Lacombe: For the moment, I think we’re aiming rather broadly. And maybe eventually, who knows, we’ll really discover a style that we really and exclusively want to go for. We would also like to do more experimental concert projects, with scenic elements. We particularly enjoy working with composers from Montreal. That’s an important focus.

PANM360: And it’s a hyper-rich environment, with a diverse and quite numerous next generation. Collectif9, No Hay Banda, Ensemble Éclat, Paramirabo…

Meggie Lacombe: Yes, we know each other well. I feel that we also support each other well among ourselves. No Hay Banda invited us on January 19 to do a double bill with them. Audréanne often plays with them. I think she’s going to play with Paramirabo too. That said, I would say that our difference is that we are a string quartet.

PANM360: There are two major contemporary string quartets located in Montreal, the Bozzini and the Molinari…

Meggie Lacombe: From a personal point of view, when I was young, it was my dream to have a quartet like the Molinari. The Molinari’s violist, Frédéric Lambert, was my teacher at McGill. He was Marilou’s teacher too. So, it happened that we had questions and then we asked them for advice. They have been a great support for us. Then, the Bozzini contacted us to participate in Québec Musque Parallèle 2025 with them.

PANM360: Let’s talk about the album. What led you to choose these works, including one by Louis-Michel?

Meggie Lacombe: The project started with Olivier Saint-Pierre, who wanted to record his piece. There was no talk of the album or recording other pieces yet. After that, the idea came to record Louis-Michel’s piece and Florence’s piece that we were already learning. The idea of the label was part of the projects we had. Finally, we combined everything. I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly, which is pretty awesome.

PANM360: Olivier St-Pierre’s piece is substantial, about 35 minutes. The theme is Time, according to the three concepts in ancient Greece. Tell me about Chronos, Kairos, and Aiôn.

Meggie Lacombe: It was a challenge. Olivier explores the relationship with time, with Chronos the linear time, Kairos the opportune time, like “the right moment,” and Aiôn the cyclical time. We have to play the piece with four metronomes, one for each of us, because we are at different tempos throughout the piece! At certain times, even though we have different tempos, we end up playing together. I think there are four places in the room where that happens. Then we shift again. Then, within the piece itself, there are parts where it is extremely calculated, which we can associate more with Chronos, and parts where we start to improvise a bit harmonically. They are like kinds of improvisation boxes. And there, we associate it with opportunity, Kairos. For Aiôn, the cycle, I see it in the canons that come back and are very carefully timed out.

I would say that one of the great challenges of the piece is that even though we have four different tempos, we still have to manage to play together and create atmospheres together. Then it’s a piece that was physically very demanding as well, because there was no stop. You have to play very slowly. I felt like I was falling into a bit of a meditative trance. I think of the Louanges in Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time. It’s almost painful for the body because it’s so slow. There was a bit of that, but it also brings us into a space that I find really interesting as an interpreter.

PANM360: It’s very interesting these insights you bring to the piece. It greatly enhances the listening experience and adds depth to my review of the album. Louis-Michel, you offered a Quartet (No. 2) for this album. What can you tell us about it?

Louis-Michel Tougas: In the piece, I tried to develop elements that I had started in my first Quartet, which was written for the Bozzini Quartet, notably the question of polyrhythm. It’s one of the aspects that made my piece join Olivier’s, the polytemporal treatment, if you will, the stratification of several temporalities. Then in the piece for Bozzini, I had also used independent metronomes, then it was a bit of a challenge to take up this idea of rhythmic stratification again, but without the technological aspect. It’s actually an idea from the late Middle Ages with Ars subtilia, correlation canons, having a motif that appears at a certain speed, then having the same motif in a related pattern that appears at a distinct speed, connected by a specific ratio.

It’s also somewhat of an idea that Olivier took for his quartet, to link the harmonic aspect and then the rhythmic aspect, that is, to have pitch intervals formulated by ratios that are also used in the rhythm. It’s the kind of technique we share in our ways of working. That has been an important aspect, so the kind of constant presentation of stretched, contracted patterns, then always simultaneously, somewhat like we find in some Renaissance or late Middle Ages music, but obviously with a different aesthetic.

That’s one aspect. Another aspect was, let’s say, having an accumulation of different materials. We start the work with one or two types of motifs, themes, if you will, that are in interaction, then at each section, one or two are added and culminate. The accumulation eventually creates this kind of maze of motifs that interact, then are exchanged between the members of the quartet. At certain moments in the piece, the motifs are presented individually, then at other times, they combine and create composite motifs, if you will, among the instrumentalists.

PANM360: In this quartet, what did you find the most difficult to master, Meggie?

Meggie Lacombe: I would say the rhythm. The tempo relationships between the sections, too. There is something very mathematical and it requires great precision. If we miss one of the transitions, we’ll be a bit lost for the rest of the piece. It was also about getting the rhythms just right, which can seem almost random, but are actually very, very calculated.

PANM360: Releasing this album on a brand new label, like two simultaneous births, was that planned from the beginning? It’s still courageous…

Louis-Michel Tougas: It was an incredibly lucky moment, I think. I had been thinking about this for a long time, not necessarily to start a record label or a company, but to have access to high-quality recordings of works that composers produce, particularly in Montreal. One of the issues we’ve been discussing with colleagues for years is that we compose works for six months, eight months, a year, then the work is played once, in a room that is not necessarily ideal, with all sorts of technical issues, etc. That’s the end of the work’s life in too many cases, unfortunately.

The idea of recording just came from that observation. The work cannot be redone many times, because they are expensive projects, they take a lot of time, they involve a lot of people, especially ensemble pieces. At least, if we can have a reference recording of those works, it ensures their longevity.

Through conversations with the composers around me, with the ensembles as well, we said to ourselves, well, it would be nice if we set up some kind of platform where people could propose their works, then we could record that, then give them a life after the creation. Ideally, of course, the works would be replayed, but at least, there would be this possibility of memory. Then it would also be an opportunity for composers, ensembles, to present this work internationally, on the Internet, to have some form of visibility.

When Olivier Saint-Pierre approached me, he said, I would like to record my piece. It would be nice to have a reference recording where it’s not just two mics at the front of the stage, at the creation concert. I did some work, not quite like a pop production job, but still a bit inspired by that. I have a background as a jazz and pop drummer, and also as a recording student at McGill.

I had a bit of production experience beyond just recording a concert like a documentary. That’s something that interested me, bringing that approach to contemporary and classical music, producing this album somewhat like a pop album, meaning we edited, there are sections, there are cuts, there’s mixing, there are eight mics on the string quartet, there are all sorts of subtle treatments. It doesn’t sound like a pop album, obviously.

When you listen to the album, you think it’s a realistic recording. We are definitely in a realistic aesthetic, but there is still that work that has been done to give, let’s say, the best possible version of the piece or one of the best possible versions.

PANM360: For the Mnémosyne label, is it the same mission as the Quatuor Mémoire? The Montreal/Quebec repertoire?

Louis-Michel Tougas: I wouldn’t say that we’re going to limit ourselves to 100% Quebec repertoire. For the moment, let’s say, these are the opportunities that are presenting themselves. There are ensembles I’m talking to who also want to record international pieces.

PANM360: What’s coming up for Mnemosyne?

Louis-Michel Tougas: I don’t know to what extent I can give names, because not everything is signed in the contracts. But I can tell you that there are several young contemporary music ensembles in Montreal that have shown interest in releasing albums. Also, several female composers. So, in 2026, there should be several releases, probably before the summer, depending on whether the conditions allow it. But we hope so.

PANM360: And for the Quatuor Mémoire, Meggie?

Meggie Lacombe: For winter and spring, we have three concerts coming up. On January 19, we have our double bill with No Hay Banda. We’re going to perform a piece by Hannah A. Barnes and Lily Koslow. We’re going to explore something a bit more theatrical with two singers.

On February 20, we’re playing another work by Olivier St-Pierre. It’s a concerto for quartet and orchestra. It’s going to be with the Ensemble Éclat. It’s organised by the SMCQ.

Finally, on April 17, we have a concert at the Chapelle du Bon-Pasteur (located at the Canadian Centre for Architecture until repairs to the original building are completed). It will be a piece by Francis Battah.

PANM360: Thank you both for being present, and especially for creating new opportunities for local classical music. Good luck.

ACTIVITIES CALENDAR FOR QUATUOR MEMOIRE


Like a temple nestled in the vertiginous heights of the Himalayas, as suggested by the Neige sur le gong program, the Gamelan studio is isolated from the city, on the top floor of the UdeM’s music faculty. The space is filled with ancient objects, passed down from generation to generation, creating a fantastical atmosphere: representations of Hindu deities, paper lamps, and gilded ornamental banners.

It’s a world unto itself, a gateway to Balinese culture, kept alive with fervor for nearly 40 years, not only by the faculty but also thanks to the selfless dedication of its members. I’ve been playing gamelan for almost a year now, but some members of the group have been there since the very beginning, in the late 1980s. That clearly shows that something magical happens there.

The biannual gamelan concerts are among the most attended at the faculty. There are several reasons for this.

Although it may seem like a fringe art form in North America, gamelan is a vibrant cultural phenomenon in Bali, continuing to produce virtuoso composers and performers. Between conservatories and a vast network of villages with distinct sounds, there’s always something to revitalize this art, and the many members of Giri Kedaton who regularly travel to Bali return with a wealth of inspiration and skill.

Before the concert on December 20th, I met with Laurent Bellemare to better understand the pieces, the people and the story behind this music.

INFO AND TICKETS HERE

For ten years, the Dômesicle series has been transforming the Satosphere, the 360° dome of the Society for Arts and Technology, into a playground dedicated to dance music. The series pays tribute to Montreal’s dynamic music scene, creating a unique atmosphere where space, sound, and light merge with the nighttime crowd.
To mark its tenth anniversary, SAT is pulling out all the stops this year by inviting headliners from around the world. Beyond this outward-looking perspective, the programming for the upcoming Dômesicle events also reflects a deep immersion in the collectives, labels, and record stores that shape Montreal’s musical ecosystem.

From La Rama to Voyage Funktastique, via support for emerging collectives such as Cybercunt, every Saturday ritual becomes a world unto itself.
Behind this new artistic direction is Maxence Dorais. After successfully organizing events for Homegrown Harvest for several years and then joining the SAT, Dorais’ arrival coincides with a new wave of internal programming that has further strengthened the SAT’s position and its famous dome in Montreal’s cultural landscape.
Building on information previously revealed by the EAF (see interview), this conversation explores Maxence Dorais’ vision for programming: balancing international and local artists, the role of local collectives, and the current pulse of Montreal’s electronic music scene.

This season marks a decade of late nights where sound, light, and space come together, bringing together international headliners and the collectives that shape Montreal’s electronic music scene.

With nine separate events scheduled between January 10 and March 21, Dômesicle could well be the light at the end of the tunnel as we wait for the northern winter to end. The artists have been announced and the dates are already marked on our calendars. As for the performances, they are given free rein, but with Maxence Dorais and the SAT team at the helm, there is no doubt that the whole thing will be a success.

In the meantime, here are short presentations by the Society for Arts and Technology of the collectives and artists featured in this new season of Dômesicle.

January 10: Dômesicle x FORMAT — Measure Divide (TO) • Mike Larry • Xia

“Measure Divide, a pillar of Toronto’s underground scene for over a decade and founder of the FORMAT collective, will deliver detailed, powerful techno with unconventional arrangements. Montreal DJs Mike Larry and Xia will captivate the dance floor, the former with his marathon set mixing frenetic beats and trance, the latter with his eclectic, ethereal, and psychedelic approach.

A night of pure techno that promises to transport you to another dimension. “

 Source: S.A.T.

January 17: Dômesicle x Voyage Funktastique — Walla P • Alina

Get ready for a night of groove, funk, house, and disco with Montreal collective Voyage Funktastique, represented by one of its co-founders, Walla P, and none other than Alina from the Ferias collective.

Embark on a boundless musical journey with Walla P, one of the two minds behind Voyage Funktastique—a radio show, record label, and monthly party. A Montreal DJ with over 12 years of experience, he’ll keep you dancing non-stop with an irresistible mix of boogie, disco, jazz, and modern funk. Alongside him, Alina, co-organizer of the Montreal collective Ferias, will get you moving with an eclectic set featuring funk, dub, Afro-Latin, breaks, and house.

Two worlds, one dance floor that will leave no one cold.
Source: S.A.T.

January 24: Dômesicle x La Rama Records — Luca Lozano (UK) & Mr. Ho (HK) • badgalquirit b2b donotstealmyname

An evening co-presented by La Rama featuring house, electro, techno, and rave music with the co-founders of the famous label Klasse Wrecks, Luca Lozano & Mr. Ho, and local DJs badgalquirit and donotstealmyname in b2b.

Make way for a legendary set somewhere between the UK and Hong Kong with a cult duo from the international club scene: Luca Lozano & Mr. Ho. They will deliver a set combining house, breakbeat, offbeat techno, and 90s rave influences, with their usual playful and unpredictable energy. Montreal DJs badgalquirit and donotstealmyname will captivate the dance floor with a b2b set fusing techno, house, and trancKe.

One thing for sure: You are not ready for this”!

Source: S.A.T.

January 31: Dômesicle x HALTE — Pariah • J.rom • UME

“Co-founder of the legendary Voam label, Pariah will offer an unpredictable, instinctive and powerful set, free from genre constraints and with an immediate impact on the body. Alongside him, the founder of Montreal’s underground electro festival HALTE, J.rom, will blend groove with powerful bass and experimental sound designs, while UME will transform the dancefloor into a sexy and playful space with his unique mix of breakbeat, acid and ghetto tech.

An evening for those who like to be surprised.

Source: S.A.T.

February 7: Dômesicle — Wata Igarashi (JP/NL) • Marie Davidson (DJ set) • Asha

“Producer by day and master of psychedelic atmospheres by night, WataIgarashi will deliver a techno set that is as trippy as it is refined and meticulously precise. Marie Davidson will offer us her raw and elegant electro with post-punk energy, where the dancefloor becomes her outlet – to everyone’s delight. Asha, co-founder of the Ether collective, will also make her mark with her bass-heavy, percussive, and polyrhythmic sounds.”

Are you ready for this surreal evening?

Source: S.A.T.

February 14: Dômesicle x Chez.Kito.Kat Records — Dr. Rubinstein (DE) • Safia Nihil • AGUMA (live)

“Punchy bass. Hypnotic synths. Solid grooves. Dr. Rubinstein will unleash her techno rave, blending acid basslines, eclectic selections, and non-stop energy. She is joined by two Montreal duos: Safia Nihil – a project of DBY and Shadya from Chez.Kito.Kat Records – who will take you on a journey through a set of downtempo lofi, modal jazz, acid, and North African sounds; and AGUMA, who will offer a live performance with polyrhythmic and immersive textures, somewhere between dub, jazz, and fourth world music.”

An evening to lose oneself in sound, between sonic experiments and moments of collective trance.”

Source: S.A.T.

March 7: Dômesicle x Homegrown Harvest — CCL (DE) • laced • Coussy

“CCL is coming to Montreal for a set that will transcend genres, blending explosive techno, steppers, 80s-inspired synths, footwork, and psychedelic textures. An international figure in the electronic music scene, they have been praised for their bold vision and captivating sets – in other words, it promises to be something special. And that’s not even mentioning Montreal DJs laced (live) and Coussy, who will spice up this wild night with IDM and tech house sets that are as chaotic as they are mesmerizing.”

A must-go, without a doubt.”

Source: S.A.T.

March 14: Dômesicle x GABA collective — BRI b2b NAË • SCOTTIE b2b MARCOCCINO • DAMACADAM b2b CHAR.L.N

“Make way for a new generation of Montreal electro artists, whose energetic sets will draw you onto the dancefloor. BRIb2b NAË will open with a fiery mix of afro, house and UKG; SCOTTIEb2b MARCOCCINO will take over with a dose of hard-hitting techno and dark disco; and DAMACADAMb2b CHAR.L.N will close with a set between Latin groove, hypnotic techno and incandescent hard groove.

A night that’s 100% Montreal, 100% groove.

Source: S.A.T.

March 21: Dômesicle x CYBERCUNT — SALOME • Pyromane b2b Cori

“From Berlin, top-tier DJ and producer SALOME lands at SAT to bring us her electro, techno, and acid sound that has set clubs and festivals ablaze worldwide. In a back-to-back set, our local gems Pyromane (from the Cybercunt collective) and Cori (from the T.I.T.S. collective) will deliver an eclectic and maximalist set with fast tempos, powerful kicks, and complex percussive structures.

No rules here. Just the night, the dance floor, and the music that gets back to the station.

Source: S.A.T.

Leading ensembles in the international, Canadian, and Quebec Baroque revival, Ensemble Caprice and Ensemble ArtChoral are still directed by their founder, conductor, choirmaster, composer, and flautist Matthias Maute. Caprice has released some twenty albums on the Atma Classique and Analekta labels. ArtChoral has released about ten outstanding recordings, also on the Atma Classique label.

In this particular case, Caprice’s baroque inclination is honored in this album dedicated to Vivaldi. This recording aims to be “both historical and imaginative: a reconstruction of Antonio Vivaldi’s lost concertos evoking four nations—La Francia, L’Inghilterra, La Spagna, and Il Gran Mogol. Mentioned in an 18th-century catalogue (1759), three of these concertos had fallen into oblivion, with the exception of Il Gran Mogol, rediscovered in 2010. Drawing on his expertise in baroque recomposition, Matthias Maute breathes new life into these lost works, scrupulously respecting the style of the Red Priest.”

As for the ArtChoral ensemble, the present day is given pride of place in Vol. 9 of the ensemble’s discography on Atma Classique: 13 Canadian female composers are performed here:  Afarin Mansouri (born in 1974), Alice Ping Yee Ho (born in 1960), Amy Brandon (born in 1980), Beverley Mckiver (born in 1958), Carmen Braden (born in 1985), Fiona Ryan (born in 1980), Karen Sunabacka (born in 1975), Kati Agócs (born in 1975), Katya Pine (born in 1954), Leslie Uyeda (born in 1953), Mari Alice Conrad (born in 1981), Sandy Scofield (born in 1956), Sophie Dupuis (born in 1988).

The interview:

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