DISCOVERING THE OSM THE OSM & YOUNG AUDIENCES 2 A MULTITUDE OF CONCERTS EACH SEASON In addition to its regular subscription series, the OSM also presents free OSM outdoor popular concerts in various parks in Montreal and the surrounding areas. As well, the Orchestra takes part in diverse THE OSM events, including classical music festivals. In all, the OSM puts on FROM YESTERDAY close to 100 concerts every year! to toDAY SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1934, THE OSM TOURS AND ORCHESTRE SYMPHONIQUE DE MONTRÉAL HAS DISTINGUISHED ITSELF AS A LEADER RECORDINGS IN THE ORCHESTRAL LIFE OF CANADA AND The excellence of the OSM has been QUEBEC, AND AS A CULTURAL AMBASSADOR amply proven over the course of over 40 national and international tours, OF THE HIGHEST ORDER. including visits to Asia, Europe, The first concert given by the OSM—which bore the name and the Americas. In addition, the Société des Concerts symphoniques de Montréal from OSM has produced more than 1934 to 1954—took place on January 14, 1935, in the 100 recordings, which have auditorium of Le Plateau school in Lafontaine Park. garnered 50 awards. Canadian conductor Rosario Bourdon led the orchestra in works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Debussy, and Goldmark, in addition to a work by Canadian composer Calixa Lavallée. Soon after, Wilfrid Pelletier, a Montrealer by birth and the conductor at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, would become the orchestra’s first music director. He founded the matinee performances for young people that are today known as Youth Concerts. In 1941, Belgian conductor Désiré Defauw succeeded Wilfrid Pelletier. Over the following decade, guest conductors of great prestige contributed to the growth of the OSM, including Charles Munch, Bruno Walter, Leopold TABLE Stokowski, Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Monteux, Joseph OF CONTENTS Krips, Ernest Ansermet, and Otto Klemperer. In 1957, Igor Markevitch became the music director. Under his THE OSM FROM YEstERDAY to toDAY 2 guidance, the OSM increased its activities and achieved full professional status. KENT NAGANO AND THE OSM 3 MUSIC EDUCATION AT THE OSM 3 From 1961 to 1967, the young Zubin Mehta steered the THE MAISON SYMPHONIQUE DE MONTRÉAL 4 OSM, bringing increased prestige to the orchestra. Under his WHAT HAPPENS AT A CONCERT? 6 direction, the OSM began its touring career and became the first Canadian orchestra ever to play in Europe. Successors THE ORCHEstRA 7 to Zubin Mehta were Franz-Paul Decker (1967-1975), THE INstRUMENT FAMILIES 8 Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (1975-1976), and Charles Dutoit MUSIC AND HIstoRY 15 (1977-2002), with whom the OSM assumed an important THE MAEstRO 16 place on the international stage. Kent Nagano has been the THE CONDUCtoR’S SCORE 18 OSM’s music director since 2006. THE MUSICIANS OF THE OSM 19 3 The OSM (formerly known as the Société des concerts symphoniques de Montréal) WILFRID PELLETIER, music director from 1934 to 1941 KENT NAGANO, music director of the OSM under the direction of WILFRID PELLETIER KENT NAGANO & THE OSM Under the guidance of Kent Nagano, the homage to personalities such as Hall on three occasions, and led the OSM in OSM’s reputation has been growing steadily, Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire and its first performance at the Edinburgh through innovative programming whose goal Father Emmett Johns, “Pops,” and have International Festival. is to update the symphonic repertoire and collaborated with author Yann Martel Kent Nagano and the OSM have produced strengthen the Orchestra’s position within (Life of Pi), environmentalist and writer 14 recordings and one DVD. These recordings the heart of its community. David Suzuki, and storyteller Fred Pellerin, include the complete Beethoven symphonies, among many others. Together, they presented concerts at an original concept that invites the Montréal’s Bell Centre—in front of 15,000 Under Kent Nagano’s direction, the OSM participation of contemporary personalities people, marking both the OSM’s 75th gave a concert at the Théâtre du Châtelet and seeks to take a fresh look at Beethoven’s anniversary and the centenary of the Montréal in Paris, completed a coast-to-coast work and thought. Canadiens—the Percival Molson Stadium Canadian tour, visited Nunavik in Northern The OSM inaugurated its new home, with the Montréal Alouettes, the Molson Coors Quebec (with seven OSM musicians), Maison symphonique de Montréal, Brewery in an original concert combining toured twice in Asia, twice in Europe, once in on September 7, 2011. symphonic and electronic music, and at the South America and once in the United Olympic Park before an audience of 45,000. States. Maestro Nagano has also conducted Kent Nagano and the OSM have paid the OSM at New York’s prestigious Carnegie become the music lovers of tomorrow, MUSIC remains strong. Looking boldly towards the future and investing in the next generation EDUCATION by helping young people discover the beauties of the symphonic repertoire AT THE OSM: through concert programs designed especially for them; what better ways to connect with the very heart of a community? A VOCATION IN THE HEART Whether through the Youth Concerts OF THE COMMUNITY (created in 1935), the OSM Manulife FOR MORE THAN 80 YEARS Competition—which celebrated its Firmly rooted in the heart of its com- 75th anniversary in 2014—the Children’s munity, the OSM invests in the develop- Corner family series, public rehearsals, ment of symphonic music in all its forms. pre-concert discussions and interviews Driven by the ideals of Wilfrid Pelletier, its with the artists, master classes, and first music director, the Orchestra’s volunteers and musicians who visit schools, vocation to promote musical education, the OSM is constantly dreaming up new especially to young audiences who will ways to help foster the love of music. 4 THE MAISON SYMPHONIQUE A NEW HOME DE MONTRÉAL FOR THE OSM A FEW LANDMARK MOMENTS THE INAUGURATION OF THE MAISON SYMPHONIQUE DE MONTRÉAL IN 2005 SEPTEMBER 2011 WAS A DREAM OF MANY YEARS COME TRUE—to HAVE In 2005, the Government of Quebec A woRLD-CLASS HOME FOR THE hires experts from the Artec firm OSM, WHERE IT COULD REHEARSE as acousticians and theatre AND PRESENT Its CONCERts. THE designers specialists to EXTRAORDINARY ACOUstICS OF THIS HALL FULLY SHowCASE THE DEVELOP RANGE OF THE ORCHEstRA’S toNAL THE PROJECT. RESOURCES, AND Its WARM DESIGN CREATES AN INTIMACY BETWEEN THE MUSICIANS AND THE AUDIENCE. THESE FEATURES HAVE SEDUCED CRITICS, MONTRÉAL MUSIC 2006 LOVERS, INTER NATIONAL VISItoRS, AND ARTIsts ALIKE SINCE ITS In June 2006, Premier Jean Charest INAUGURATION. MOREOVER, and the Minister of Culture and THANKS to THE HALL’S ACOUstICS 2010 Communications and Minister AND INTIMATE SEttING, THE OSM responsible for the region of HAS BEEN ABLE to EXPAND Montréal, Line Beauchamp, THE STRUCTURE Its REPERtoIRE. is completed in the ANNOUNCE THE summer of 2010. CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW CONCERT HALL. 2011 On September 7, 2011, 2009 THE OSM Following a selection process, the INAUGURATES Quebec government signs a 30-year ITS NEW HOME. partnership agreement with Groupe immobilier Ovation, a subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin, for the design, construction, funding, operation, and maintenance of the new concert hall. 2014 On May 28, 2014, Spring sees the demolition work of the parking lot begin, where the future THE OSM hall will be located. INAUGURATES CONSTRUCTION THE GRAND WORK BEGINS ORGUE IN THE FALL. PIERRE-BÉIQUE. 5 DISCOVER A FEW FEATURES OF MONTRÉAL’S NEW CONCERT HALL, HOME OF THE OSM The new hall has a seating capacity of All surfaces in the auditorium 2,100 are clad in wood. SEATED WHITE BEECH SPECTAtoRS, is the main material used in the including 200 seats in the design, serving both acoustic area reserved for the chorus, and visual purposes. when not in use. The auditorium meets the The stage will accommodate N1 NOISE UP to CRITERION in which the background noise level in 120 the hall is not audible to the human ear. This is achieved in part by creating MUSICIANS a “box within a box,” where the hall is AND A CHORUS structurally separated from everything OF UP to surrounding it and sits on rubber and steel pads that prevent the 200 VOICES. transmission of vibration from the outside. The massive wall construction The hall features a of the interior box is designed to prevent the transmission of exterior “shOEBOx” noise. The hall’s mechanical and design, distinguished among other electrical systems are also designed elements by its relatively narrow, not to generate any audible noise. high and long straight geometry with audience seating on multiple balcony levels and surrounding the performers. These geometric features have proven to deliver a superior acoustic environment and create an intimate relationship between performers and audience. 6 The OSM under the direction of MAESTRO KENT NAGANO WHAT HAPPENS AT A CONCERT? WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE CONCERT HALL, YOU MAY NOTICE SOME MUSICIANS BEFORE ALREADY ON STAGE, PLAYING BY THEMSELVES. THE MUSIC THEY PLAY MAY NOT THE CONCERT SOUND VERY PLEASANT; IN FACT, THEY ARE WARMING UP BEFORE THEIR CONCERT, JUST AS ATHLETES DO BEFORE A GAME OF SOCCER OR HOCKEY. ON stAGE, PLEASE! STAGE LEFT OR stAGE RIGHT? LET’S GET IN TUNE! Five minutes before the The musicians enter from either Just before the concert starts, the beginning of the concert, the stage left or stage right, depending concertmaster enters and the oboist personnel manager calls the on where they sit in the orchestra. plays the note “A” to allow the musicians on stage over the Stage left refers to the side of the musicians to tune their instruments. P. A. system. He can be heard stage to the musician’s left—to the At the OSM, the wind instruments backstage and in the right of the audience—and vice tune first, followed by the string dressing rooms but not versa.