Recitals, Orchestral and Chamber Music

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There is such a wealth of concerts and recitals in Montreal that you couldn’t go to all of them, but don’t worry, we’ve made a selection. For more suggestions, consult our calendar.

Major orchestras

The Orchestre Métropolitain and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra have some must-hear concerts lined up for this season. We’ve picked out some items from their extensive programming. On October 23, four Canadian composers will feature in the concert entitled Patriots of the World at Orchestre Métropolitain. Éric Champagne, Denis Dion, Emily Hall and Gabriel Dharmoo have been invited to compose Variations on a Theme of Jacques Hétu. This group creation will have its debut under the baton of Julian Kuerti on October 23 at 7:30 pm at Maison symphonique. On the same program: The Scottish Fantasy by Bruch, and extracts from Má Vlast (My Country) by Smetana. For its part, the MSO will be screening Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times, and playing the music by the legendary artist whose Little Tramp character was first created 100 years ago. The conductor is Timothy Brock, who specializes in Chaplin scores. October 15 at 8 pm, Maison symphonique.

New World at OUM

Orchestre de l’Université de Montréal launches its 22^nd season with Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony No. 9 conducted by Jean-François Rivest. They’ll also be playing Scriabin’s Piano Concerto in F sharp minor, Op. 20, with Ben Cruchley, runner-up in OUM’s 2014 Concours de concerto. There will also be the debut of Aurora by composer Gabriel Penido, winner of the OUM’s 2014 Concours de composition. October 3, salle Claude-Champagne, 7:30 pm.

Trio Hochelaga get the wind in their sails

Trio Hochelaga is offering a concert entitled Par Grands vents – Nordet. The trio, which comprises violinist Anne Robert, cellist Chloé Dominguez and pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin, will play a breezy nordic program, with works by Rachmaninov, Dvořák and the French-born Russian Gueorgui Catoire (1861-1926). October 10, 7:30 pm, Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. www.triohochelaga.com

Molinari Quartet

The Molinari Quartet is planning a new series of interactive concerts in addition to its existing series in partnership with the Guido Molinari Foundation. The series Musique à voir accompanies the exhibition Les Quantificateurs, which is showing from September 24 to December 20 in the former studio of the painter Guido Molinari on St. Catherine Street East. A concert of contemporary works will take place in tandem with the exhibition on November 15 at 3 pm, at the Foundation. In the meantime the quartet is playing three other concerts. The first of the season, Musique klezmer pour clarinette et quatuor, features guests André Moison, clarinettist at the MSO, and pianist Jean Saulnier. September 26 at 7:30 pm, St. Mark’s Church in Longueuil. The other two concerts are devoted to quartets by Krzysztof Penderecki, on October 17 at 2 pm and October 23 at 7:30 pm, at Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur. quatuormolinari.qc.ca

Beethoven piano and violin

This fall, pianist François Zeitouni and Olivier Thouin, associate concertmaster at the MSO, will play the entire sonatas for piano and violin by Beethoven. For the first of the three concerts spread over the 2015-16 season they will perform Sonatas nos. 1, 2, 4 and 7. October 4 at 3 pm, Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur.

It’s raining pianos!

Piano fans will be positively deluged with concerts and recitals throughout the autumn. David Fray will be performing three sonatas by Schubert (Bourgie concert hall, October 1); Rafal Blechacz will play Chopin’s Concerto no. 1 at the MSO (October 7 and 8, Maison symphonique); Marc-André Hamelin (October 16, Maison symphonique); Andras Schiff (October 28, Maison symphonique); Alexander Melnikov with Ensemble Variances (October 29, Bourgie concert hall); Jean-Philippe Sylvestre (October 29, Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur); David Jalbert (November 1 at 3 pm, Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur); Christian Blackshaw plays Mozart’s Concerto no. 27 with I Musici (November 5, Bourgie concert hall); and the MSO’s Yefim Bronfman plays Tchaikovsky’s first piano concerto (November 17, 18 and 19, Maison symphonique).

Concerts for a good cause

This fall, Orchestre symphonique de l’Agora, under the baton of Nicolas Ellis, will present two benefit concerts. The first, entitled Poésie musicale, will raise funds for L’Itinéraire, the well-known magazine that helps the homeless, drug addicts and the unemployed get back on their feet. The concert comprises: Symphony No. 4, the “Italian”, by Mendelssohn, Piano Concerto No. 2 by Chopin with Charles Richard-Hamelin, and some Schubert lieder arranged by Franz Liszt with Canadian soprano Sarah Halmarson. October 29, 7:30 pm at the Pollack Hall, McGill University. The second concert, Bach incognito, will be presented on November 28 at 2 pm at the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul as part of the Bach Festival. Profits to go to the organization Share the Warmth. www.osagora.ca

 Translation: Cecilia Grayson