The techno concerto, a new twist

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OSTR to premiere a composition by Caroline Lizotte

Composer and harpist Caroline Lizotte will join the Orchestre Symphonique de Trois-Rivieres (OSTR) and musician Guy Pelletier on September 21 to premiere her 'Concerto Techno pour harpe et orchestre'. The evening is entitled La Passion des Anges, as the angelic harp will also be highlighted in the evening's musical pieces.

? "It [the creation] is the inclusion," describes Lizotte, "of electronic music within an orchestral framework; an encounter between two very different musical genres, two different worlds." She adds, "It was a question of finding the perfect dynamic between the musical languages of techno, the orchestra, and the harp."

?The harp is, in fact, Lizotte's first love. She has been playing since the age of 14 and has been the OSTR's regular harpist for nine seasons. She is also part of a successful harp duo called Para Arpa. Her partner in the group, Caroline Leonardelli, will perform a more traditional harp piece with her: Canadian composer Marjan Mozetich's La Passion des Anges. Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, Eroica, will also be on the program.

?Though the other two works are more traditional than the techno concerto, OSTR's conductor and artistic director Gilles Bellemare believes Lizotte's creation will complement them well. "It is a composition that is fresh and very, very interesting." He adds, "Given that the piece features contemporary music, it will allow spectators to find points of reference; to anchor their understanding in elements of music that are familiar to them."

?Bellemare feels that today's audiences should be exposed to new music. "We have an obligation to open ourselves to our own contemporary music, instead of simply contenting ourselves with other generations' contemporary music."

?For the techno concerto, Lizotte will collaborate with Guy Pelletier, who will conduct the electronic musical segments. She met Pelletier about three years ago and says they each had talents that interested the other: he wanted to include the harp in his music and she wanted to introduce the instrument in to new domains. The concerto will be their first performance together. Billy McDonald