Montréal

Classical / Modern Classical / South African Traditional

The OSM and Abel Selaocoe: Evenings When You’d Like to Stop Time

by Judith Hamel

The OSM sometimes gives us gifts. Moments of unexpected communion, as was the case on May 22. The concert program featured the closing piece Romeo and Juliet, but it was the journey to get there that was most meaningful.

The concert opened with Maurice Ravel’s Ma mère l’Oye, under the expressive and precise direction of conductor Xian Zhang. This suite of musical tales featured several musicians as soloists. In Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête, the famous contrabassoon solo, embodying the clumsy Beast, was brilliantly performed by Michael Sundell, before the disenchanting harp glissando transformed him into a prince.

Then Abel Selaocoe took to the stage to perform Four Spirits, a song about the Sebokeng community where he grew up, accompanied by the orchestra and multi-percussionist Bernhard Schimpelsberger. Selaocoe is a cellist and singer of South African origin, bringing with him an impressive musical baggage.

Through inventive use of extended playing techniques, he explores in depth the rhythmic, melodic and above all timbral potential of the instrument, placing it at the service of expressivity. With his cello, Selaocoe manages to conjure up a plurality of timbres and functions: the instrument becomes in turn the rhythmic echo of his voice, a vocal double, or comes close to a lute or guitar. It is sometimes an accompanist, sometimes the bearer of lyrical flights of fancy, and provides a sensitive extension of his body.

As for his voice, what can I say… First of all, the well-dosed amplification in the Maison Symphonique showcases the breadth of his vocal range and ensures the grandeur of his creativity and dynamic expressions. Here again, he blends several traditions, inserting sweet Southern Sotho and Zulu songs and guttural chants that acoustically fill the hall into a solid vocal control. Together, cello and voice express inspired lyrics with a doubled range of emotions.

From the fourth movement, celebrating the spirit of community, came a timid murmur and then a chorus from the audience. After a long ovation, Selaocoe returned to the stage to offer a final aria dedicated to the present moment. He reminds us that if we failed to do the right thing yesterday, there’s still time to do it today. And a final chorus formed…

In the second half, we return to the classics with excerpts from the first two suites of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet. A work which, as you can imagine, has been played hundreds of times by the musicians, but which is not without its pleasures. The performance may not have been the most striking of the evening, but it was no less effective. Between Pierre Beaudry’s solid outbursts on bass trombone and Zhang’s dramatic flights of fancy, there was plenty for the audience to enjoy.

An evening where the new and the already familiar alternate, allowing the audience to feel genuine emotions. Here’s hoping Selaocoe comes back soon!

There are evenings like this one that we’d like to relive soon.

Photo Credit : Antoine Saito

classique / post-romantique

OSM : Le chant de la terre de Mahler par Payare

by Rédaction PAN M 360

La rencontre inédite entre la musique de Mahler et la création d’une œuvre pour voix et orchestre en langues autochtones promet une fin de saison mémorable! Face à fragilité de l’existence humaine, le renouvellement perpétuel de la nature alimente le rêve d’immortalité des humains. Traitée par Mahler dans Le chant de la terre, cette thématique trouvera un écho dans une œuvre composée et écrite par des artistes autochtones, allochtones et métis rendant hommage à la vie et à la Terre. Ce concert hors du commun clôturera une saison 2024-2025 prometteuse!

An unprecedented convergence between the music of Mahler and the premiere of a work for voices and orchestra sung in Indigenous languages will make for a memorable season finale! Faced with the fragility of human existence, the perpetual renewal of nature has nurtured the dream of immortality in humans. This theme, depicted by Mahler in Das Lied von der Erde, will be echoed by a work composed and written by Indigenous, non-Indigenous, and Métis artists paying homage to life and to the Earth. An extraordinary concert that will bring a promising 2024-2025 season to a close!

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Ce contenu provient de l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal et est adapté par PAN M 360

période romantique

Reaching for the sky: Francis Choinière’s challenge to end his OPCM’s 10th season

by Frédéric Cardin

Last night’s finale and premiere at the Maison symphonique de Montréal were one and the same: the Orchestre Philharmonique et Choeur des Mélomanes (OPCM) ended its season (the tenth of its existence) with a first-ever performance of a Mahler symphony, in this case the Second, “Resurrection”. Conductor Francis Choinière had chosen it for its beauty and magnificence, allowing him to showcase his orchestra’s capabilities. Soprano Sarah Dufresne and mezzo Allyson McHardy joined the ensemble for the short but beautiful lyrical lines of the work’s fourth and fifth movements.

WATCH THE INTERVIEW WITH FRANCIS CHOINIÈRE ABOUT MAHLER’S RESURRECTION SYMPHONY.

Francis Choinière conducts in a poised manner, without the effluvia of his Montreal colleagues Rafael Payare and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, or the historic Bernstein, a model in his own right. This induces an attention to the almost crystalline clarity of the score’s numerous lines and contrasts. Where Bernstein creates a gripping viscerality, Francis draws precise, more thoughtful portraits. This does not prevent the achievement of impressive and effective tutti when necessary.

I particularly appreciated the characterization he gave to the strings, very beautiful and rich in temperament. Hats off to the orchestra’s first chair, violinist Mary-Elizabeth Brown, who played some vibrant, very lilting solos.

The second movement, andante moderato, was beautifully pastoral and debonair. The same was true of the Scherzo (third movement), with its dance-like “allant”.

Urlicht, that moment of grace (fourth movement), gave us the opportunity to appreciate mezzo McHardy’s sound projection, a tad dark for the needs of the score, but given in a very pleasant tonal and aesthetic refinement.

The final movement, with its many dynamic pauses, is a formidable piece to tie down, for it must be ensured that the fluidity of the “ascent” to the final light, which begins here and ends in the next movement, is not diminished and rendered less penetrating by these frequent pauses. These must appear as mere breaths in a spiritually continuous ascent, despite the changes in texture and affect. I must report that, listening furtively to a few comments from the audience after the concert, this aspect of the work was perhaps not fully understood by all. If I myself did not feel the irremediability of this ascent during the unfolding of the movement, the choral finale ended up reconciling the purpose with the objective. Indeed, Francis Choinière led his 200-odd musicians to an apotheosis that (again, comments gleaned from the audience) sent shivers down the spines of many present, yours truly included. It was well worth the trip, for this grand tutti had panache! Heaven was reached, even if it almost had to wait.

As a good critic who has to quibble over technical details, I would like to note the lack of technical and aesthetic finish of the trumpets and horns in several delicate passages. If you want to play Mahler again, you absolutely must polish up this aspect.

All in all, a fine incursion into Mahler’s repertoire by a very young orchestra showing its aptitude for this demanding repertoire. There will be plenty of time to fine-tune the details and offer more in the near future to audiences who are often new to this repertoire, a specialty of this orchestra. This audience, considering its reaction, appreciated the experience and will be back in the future.

Thank you Francis and the OCPM for building tomorrow’s classical public in such a wonderful way.

Alt-Pop / Electro-Pop

Group Project au Théâtre Fairmount

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Group Project est un trio de Montréal, Canada qui fait de la musique alternative-pop. Les débuts du groupe remontent à 2015 quand Jeremy Harbec rencontre Jacob Brown et qu’ils commencent à expérimenter avec des beats EDM & Pop dans la chambre à coucher/studio de Jeremy. En 2016 le duo commence à sortir leurs chansons sur SoundCloud. C’est alors qu’Alex Remington se joint à Jeremy et Jacob pour former Group Project et qu’ils commencent à enregistrer leurs premières chansons ensemble. Les vocales étaient alors enregistrées de façon créative sous des couvertures et les guitares étaient enregistrées avec des micros tenus manuellement puisque le groupe ne possédait pas encore de stands à micros. Le gérant d’artiste, Stéphane McGarry, promenait un jour son chien quand la mère d’Alex (la fan #1 de Group Project!) lui suggéra d’écouter les chansons du groupe. La fille de Stéphane entendit les chansons qu’il écoutait et lui dit que tous les ados à son école écoutaient déjà ces chansons. Deux ans plus tard, Group Project établit un partenariat avec Spectra Musique et Evenko et le groupe a hâte de continuer à progresser en 2021. Le plus récent single du groupe ‘Settle Down’ est sorti le 28 mai dernier.

Group Project is an alternative-pop trio based out of Montreal, Canada. The band can trace its roots back to 2015 when Jeremy Harbec met Jacob Brown, to experiment with EDM & Pop beats in Jeremy’s bedroom studio. They began to release their songs on SoundCloud in 2016. Alex Remington soon joined the picture, and Group Project began recording its first few songs. Vocals were recorded creatively under blankets, and guitars were recorded by hand-held microphones since the trio did not have mic-stands. The band’s manager, Stephane McGarry, was walking his dog one day when Alex’s mom (Group Project’s biggest fan) convinced him to give the band’s music a listen. Stephane’s daughter heard the songs playing in the background and informed him that all the kids were listening to it at her school. Two years later, Group Project has partnered with Spectra Musique and Evenko and the band is looking forward to taking strides forward in 2021. The band’s single ‘Settle Down’ was released on May 28th.

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Ce contenu provient de Spectra et est adapté par PAN M 360

alt-rock / Indie Pop

The Wedding Present au Ritz PDB

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Porté par la voix insistante de David Gedge et ses paroles sincèrement éprises d’amour, The Wedding Present est l’un des groupes fondateurs et moteurs de l’indie rock au Royaume-Uni. Bien que la formation ait évolué autour de Gedge, son attachement aux guitares au jeu rapide, aux tempos vifs et aux mélodies accrocheuses est resté intact depuis leur premier single en 1985. Le groupe débute avec une énergie brute et maladroite sur ces premiers singles et l’album George Best (1987), avant que leur son ne gagne en richesse et en puissance avec le chef-d’œuvre bruyant Seamonsters (1991), une touche grunge assumée sur Watusi (1994), ou une légèreté pétillante avec l’EP Mini (1996). Après avoir dissous le groupe à la fin des années 90 pour fonder Cinerama, un projet plus influencé par la pop orchestrale, Gedge reforme The Wedding Present en 2004 et sort l’album percutant Take Fountain. Les années suivantes alternent entre tournées anniversaires célébrant leurs premiers albums et sorties discographiques, comme Going, Going… en 2016 ou 24 Songs en 2023, une compilation de singles publiés sur un an, poursuivant l’exploration des tribulations amoureuses de Gedge avec une énergie et une maîtrise intactes.

Built around David Gedge’s insistent voice and earnestly lovelorn lyrics, the Wedding Present are one of the founders and driving forces of indie rock in the U.K. Though the cast revolves around him, Gedge’s devotion to quickly strummed guitars, lively tempos, and sharp hooks has stayed the same since their first single in 1985. The band started off awkward and energetic on those initial singles and 1987’s George Best album, but as their confidence and instrumental prowess grew, their sound became richer and more powerful (1991’s noisy masterpiece Seamonsters), or happily grungy, (1994’s Watusi), or light and fizzy (1996’s Mini EP). After splitting up the band in the late ’90s to start the more orchestral pop-influenced Cinerama, Gedge re-formed the Wedding Present in 2004 and issued the bracing Take Fountain album. The years that followed saw the band alternating between anniversary tours to celebrate early albums and releasing records like 2016’s Going, Going… and 2023’s 24 Songs — the latter collected a year’s worth of singles, that continued to chart the course of Gedge’s romantic travails with undimmed energy and skill.

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Ce contenu provient d’AllMusic et est adapté par PAN M 360

Alternative / Indie Rock

Momma au Théâtre Fairmount

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Projet de rock indépendant aux riffs lourds, aux voix mélancoliques et aux textes introspectifs, Momma est un duo composé d’Etta Friedman et d’Allegra Weingarten, qui se partagent le chant, l’écriture et la guitare. Leur deuxième album, Two of Me (2020), leur a valu une certaine reconnaissance dans la presse musicale grand public. Deux ans plus tard, elles ont fait leurs débuts chez Polyvinyl avec Household Name, leur troisième album et leur premier en studio professionnel. Après une série de festivals et de tournées, elles ont sorti de nouveaux morceaux, dont Bang Bang (2023) et Ohio All the Time (2024).

An indie rock project with a penchant for heavy riffs, moody vocals, and rumination, Momma is the duo of Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten, who share singing, songwriting, and guitar duties. They had a minor breakthrough with their 2020 sophomore album Two of Me, winning acclaim in the mainstream music press. Two years later, they made their Polyvinyl debut with their third album, Household Name, which was also their professional studio debut. Amid the plethora of festival dates and tour opportunities that followed, they released new songs including “Bang Bang” (2023) and “Ohio All the Time” (2024).

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Ce contenu provient d‘AllMusic et est adapté par PAN M 360

Classical Singing / classique

Concours musical international de Montréal : Grande finale du CMIM

by Rédaction PAN M 360

L’heure est venue pour les cinq finalistes sélectionnés à la demi-finale par le prestigieux jury du CMIM de se mesurer à leurs pairs.
À cette étape cruciale du Concours, les chanteurs et chanteuses doivent démontrer toute l’étendue de leur technique et de leur expressivité à travers un programme d’une durée maximale de 18 minutes incluant trois airs extraits d’opéras ou d’œuvres orchestrales, interprétés dans au moins deux langues différentes.
Pour cette ultime épreuve, les finalistes ont le privilège de se produire aux côtés de l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM), l’orchestre officiel du CMIM, sous la direction du renommé chef d’orchestre Patrick Summers. Ce moment décisif culminera en fin de soirée avec l’annonce des lauréats et des gagnants des prix spéciaux lors de la cérémonie de clôture.
Qui remportera le prestigieux titre de grand lauréat ou grande lauréate de Voix 2025? Venez encourager vos favoris et vivre en direct, depuis Montréal, l’émergence de futures célébrités internationales!

The time has come for the five finalists selected by the prestigious CMIM international jury during the semifinal to distinguish themselves from their peers.
At this crucial final stage of the competition, singers must demonstrate the full extent of their technique and expressiveness in a program lasting no more than 18 minutes, including three arias drawn from the opera or orchestral repertoire and performed in at least two different languages.
For this final round, the five finalists have the privilege of performing alongside the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM), under the direction of renowned conductor Patrick Summers. This decisive moment will culminate at the end of the evening with the announcement of the laureates and the winners of the special prizes at the closing ceremony.
Who will win the prestigious title of Grand Laureate of Voice 2025? Come and cheer on your favourites and experience the emergence of future international stars live from Montreal! Don’t miss this exceptional event.

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Ce contenu provient de Place des Arts et est adapté par PAN M 360

Coldwave / Gothic / Krautrock

Peter Hook and The Light au MTelus

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Peter Hook & The Light est un groupe anglais de post-punk, formé en mai 2010 par le bassiste et chanteur Peter Hook, ancien membre des groupes influents Joy Division et New Order. Le groupe comprend également Jack Bates, le fils de Hook, à la basse, ainsi qu’Andy Poole (claviers) et Paul Kehoe (batterie), qui avaient tous deux joué avec Hook au sein de Monaco, l’un de ses anciens projets.
Le groupe est reconnu pour interpréter en concert les albums de Joy Division et de New Order. Cette initiative a suscité des critiques de la part des autres membres de New Order, Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris (également membre de Joy Division) et Gillian Gilbert, après la reformation de New Order sans Hook. Peter Hook & The Light sont parfois accompagnés par Rowetta, qui assure des voix invitées.

Peter Hook & The Light are an English post-punk band, formed in May 2010 by bassist and vocalist Peter Hook, formerly of the influential post-punk bands Joy Division and New Order. The band also features Hook’s son Jack Bates (bass), as well as Andy Poole (keyboards) and Paul Kehoe (drums), who both played with Hook as part of Monaco, one of Hook’s previous groups.
The band is noted for performing the Joy Division and New Order albums live. The band gained some criticism from the other New Order members, Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris (also of Joy Division) and Gillian Gilbert, after New Order’s reunion without Hook. The band is also occasionally accompanied by Rowetta, who performs guest vocals.

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Ce contenu provient de Wikipédia et est adapté par PAN M 360

Electronic / Industrial / noise / noise

ORPHX au Ritz PDB

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Le duo canadien Rich Oddie et Christina Sealey a fondé Orphx au début des années 90, publiant une série de cassettes expérimentales mêlant noise et musique industrielle. Leur premier album CD, Fragmentation, est sorti en 1996 sur le label américain Malignant Records. À la fin des années 90, leur son évolue vers une approche plus proche du techno, souvent qualifiée de rhythmic noise. L’EP 10” Nullity paraît sur Hands Productions en 1998, suivi de l’album Vita Mediativa en 1999. Le duo commence alors à se produire intensivement en Amérique du Nord et en Europe, participant notamment aux festivals industriels allemands Maschinenfest et Forms of Hands au début des années 2000, aux côtés d’artistes comme Winterkälte, Ah Cama-Sotz et Mimetic. Orphx poursuit ses sorties sur Hands Productions, tout en publiant l’album Circuitbreaking sur Hymen Records en 2004. En 2008, Hands publie Teletai, une compilation double CD regroupant des morceaux rares ou auparavant disponibles uniquement en vinyle, avec un disque de remixes signés Surgeon, Fluxion, Sleeparchive et d’autres figures de la scène techno et industrielle. En 2009, Orphx signe avec le label Sonic Groove d’Adam X et entame la publication d’une série de 12” techno, tout en partageant l’affiche avec des DJs comme Marcel Dettmann et Ben Klock. Hymen Records compile ensuite ces morceaux en CD avec The Sonic Groove Releases, Pt. 1 en 2014, suivi de Pt. 2 en 2015. En 2016, Orphx sort l’album Pitch Black Mirror, sur lequel figure la chanteuse Marie Davidson en tant qu’invitée.

Canadian duo Rich Oddie and Christina Sealey began Orphx in the early ’90s, releasing a series of experimental noise and industrial cassettes. Their first CD release was Fragmentation on American label Malignant Records in 1996, and by the end of the ’90s, their sound had shifted in a more techno-leaning direction, often referred to as “rhythmic noise.” The 10″ EP Nullity appeared on Hands Productions in 1998, followed by full-length CD Vita Mediativa in 1999. The duo began performing extensively across North America and Europe, and made several appearances at German industrial festivals Maschinenfest and Forms of Hands in the early 2000s, alongside labelmates such as Winterkälte, Ah Cama-Sotz, Mimetic, and numerous others. Several albums on Hands Productions continued, as well as 2004 full-length Circuitbreaking on Hymen Records. In 2008, Hands released Teletai, a double-CD collection of rarities and tracks previously only released on vinyl, with a disc of remixes by Surgeon, Fluxion, Sleeparchive, and many other techno and industrial artists. In 2009, Orphx signed to Adam X’s Sonic Groove label and began releasing a series of techno 12″s, and the duo performed at events with techno DJs such as Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock. Hymen Records began compiling tracks from these 12″s for CD releases, starting with The Sonic Groove Releases, Pt. 1 in 2014, followed by Pt. 2 in 2015. Orphx’s full-length, Pitch Black Mirror, which featured guest vocals by Marie Davidson, was released in 2016.

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Ce contenu provient d’AllMusic et est adapté par PAN M 360

Electronic / Techno

Beauz au Théâtre Fairmount

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Dominant les scènes principales des festivals et remplissant des salles emblématiques en Amérique du Nord et en Asie, BEAUZ est un nom impossible à ignorer en 2024.
Originaires de Los Angeles, les frères DJ et producteurs américains ont atteint de nouveaux sommets grâce à une année d’exploits extraordinaires, s’imposant comme une véritable force du Hard Techno. Rien qu’en 2024, ils ont rassemblé une base fidèle de plus de 600 000 “baddies” grâce à du contenu viral sur Instagram et TikTok, et accumulé plus de 2 millions de vues sur leurs DJ sets Hard Techno sur YouTube, rivalisant ainsi avec les plus grands noms du genre.

Dominating festival main stages and selling out strongholds across North America and Asia, BEAUZ is a name impossible to ignore in 2024.
Hailing from Los Angeles, the American DJ / producer brothers soared to new heights through a year of extraordinary feats, proving themselves to be a powerhouse of fresh Hard Techno. In 2024 alone, they built a loyal fan base of more than 600,000 “baddies” through viral content across IG and Tiktok, and accumulated more than 2 million views on their Hard Techno DJ sets on YouTube, rivaling even the top Hard Techno acts.

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Ce contenu provient de Beauzworld.com et est adapté par PAN M 360

Alternative / Indie Rock

Livingston au Théâtre Beanfield

by Rédaction PAN M 360

La musique de Livingston est le point de rencontre entre la réalité et la fiction. Auteur-compositeur-interprète et producteur de 22 ans originaire de Denton, au Texas, il a passé une grande partie de son adolescence isolée à perfectionner sa passion pour la musique afin d’échapper à son anxiété. L’univers sonore qu’il a créé associe des paroles et des mélodies profondément personnelles, intimes et émouvantes à des arrangements grandioses, une production soignée et des couches musicales riches.

Livingston’s music is the sound of reality and fiction colliding. The 22-year-old singer/songwriter and producer from Denton, Texas would spend much of his isolated youth honing in his passion for music to escape his anxiety. The sonic world he created pairs deeply personal, intimate, emotional lyrics and melodies alongside larger-than-life arrangements, production and musical layers.

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Ce contenu provient de YouTube et est adapté par PAN M 360

Balkan music / Klezmer / psychédélique

Let’s Yiddish’n’roll with Kallisto!

by Frédéric Cardin

I’ve already spoken to you about Kallisto, a klezmer yiddish-folk Anatolian-psychedelic-rock meets balkanic-swing quintet that tickled my ears at the Sylis d’or 2023 at the Balattou club (READ THE INTERVIEW I DID HERE – in French), here in Montreal. I had the chance to see them live again on Sunday evening, 18 May 2025 at Balattou, and the initial impression remains the same: this is a very solid band, aesthetically and musically, built on the foundations of Jewish music but blending multiple influences that blend organically and very festively. The sub-genres mentioned above can all be found, to a greater or lesser extent, in one of the band’s pieces, whether standard or original composition. 

That said, the group is not the same as it was in 2023, except for leader Jossée McInnis (clearly the creative soul of the ensemble), who is also a clarinettist. The Montrealer (formerly from London, ON) is an instrumentalist with a rock-solid musical science, classic technique and tonal precision, to be sure. But she swings well and handles the colours and inflections of klezmer music with perfect ease. The lady has surrounded herself with other top names, perhaps even better than in the Sylis 2023 version: Antoine Bensoussan on guitar (a skilful surf-styler, among others), Jefferson Perez on cello (brilliant in both his tonal beauty and his improvisational skills), Patrick Lebrun on bass and Edward Scrimger on drums. 

Kallisto play regular gigs in good small venues, from Montreal to Sherbrooke to Toronto, so keep an eye on the agenda of your favourite live music bars. If they happen to be in your area, be sure to give them a listen. It’s a great way to spend the evening. 

Next official gig dates: 

9 July 2025 – Quai des brumes, Montreal

July 19, 2025 – Duluth en Arts, Duluth Street, Montreal

KALLISTO WEBSITE

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