Vivier. Claude Vivier. The same way we say Mozart. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart… Isn’t it normal to recognize our own heroes? If music is a fundamental expression of Humanity, then Claude Vivier certainly knew how to express the essence of our culture, our history, our dreams. Vivier is truly a “national treasure”!
With the 60th anniversary of his birth and the 25th anniversary of his tragic death in 1983, we thought the moment had come to recognize his importance. Appreciating Vivier really means plugging ourselves into our inner power, the kind that runs in our veins, and holds the key to our past, our present, and our future.
From September, 2007 to May, 2008, we have put together a real celebration in honour of Claude: a total of twenty of his works will get a hearing in one concert or another, at the hands of veteran artists specialized in new, classical, early, and world music alike. An initiative of the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ) with Société des arts technologiques (SAT), Espace musique, la radio musicale de Radio-Canada and CBC Radio 2, this series is produced in partnership with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Université de Montréal’s faculty of music, the Conservatoire de musique et d’art framatique de Montréal, McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, the Canadian Music Centre (Quebec), Jeunesses Musicales du Canada, the Ensemble d’ondes de Montréal, Circuit, the Festival d’automne of Orgue et couleurs, SuperMusique, the Ensemble contemporain de Montréal (ECM), Quatuor Bozzini, the Studio de musique Ancienne de Montréal (SMAM), the Observatoire international de la création musicale (OICM), La Nef, Constantinople, Arraymusic (Toronto), FAMEQ, and the École Montréalaise, among others. The entire musical milieu has responded to our call: it’s going to be a real celebration!
Come and meet “your” heroes!
Walter Boudreau
Artistic Director
Pierrette Gingras
General Manager