Les
Mélodînes continue at
Place des Arts
Thursdays afternoons: November 15, 22 and 29 from 12:10
to 12:50
Montreal, November 6, 2007 – The fifth
season of LES MÉLODÎNES
presented by Pro Musica and Place des
Arts is continuing on Thursday, November
15, 22 and 29, from 12:10 to 12:50, with three concerts to brighten
up your lunch hour and banish the greys of autumn. The musical menu
planned by Monique Dubé and Pierre Rolland should please all
palettes: the rollicking klezmer music of Kleztory
on November 15; piano sonatas by Beethoven and Rachmaninoff
performed by Diego Rodriguez on November 22; and
contemporary music by Canadian composers performed by violist
Jutta Puchhammer and pianist Paul
Stewart on November 29. So bring your lunch to these
weekly MÉLODÎNES at
Place des Arts, and let these talented artists
treat you to some delectable music.
Originating in the medieval villages of Eastern Europe, klezmer
music was performed by itinerant Jewish musicians at feasts and
marriages. After reaching America through the massive Jewish
immigrations of the 19th and 20th centuries, it incorporated
elements of jazz and swing. Since the 1980s, there has been an
unprecedented surge in klezmer’s popularity worldwide. Like
the distinctive, syncopated sounds of this hybrid music, the five
musicians of Kleztory form a rich mosaic of
cultures, musical training and tastes. With their striking
arrangements that combine innovation with tradition, they are
reaching an ever-growing public. Kleztory has
three albums to its credit and has performed with the Orchestre
symphonique de Montréal and the I Musici de Montréal
Chamber Orchestra. For a sample of their infectious energy, come to
the Piano nobile at Place des Arts on
Thursday, November 15.
On Thursday, November 22, again from 12:10 to
12:50, the Spanish-born pianist Diego Rodriguez
will rouse audiences at the
Studio-théâtre of Place des
Arts with his masterly interpretations of
Beethoven’s Sonata No. 30 in E major and
Rachmaninoff’s Sonata No. 2 in B-flat major. A
genuine virtuoso, Diego Rodriguez studied in Spain
and the United States under several masters of the piano. He is
currently studying for his doctorate in music at the
Université de Montréal. His numerous prizes at
international competitions include the Wideman Piano Competition in
Shreveport, Louisiana, and the Sorantin International Concerto
Competition in San Antonio, Texas. Highly appreciated as an
accompanist, Diego Rodriguez is also active as a
soloist and chamber musician in both his native country and
Quebec.
Musical discoveries can be made at the concert on
November 29, as Viennese-born violist
Jutta Puchhammer and Nova Scotian pianist
Paul Stewart perform contemporary music by
Canadian composers José Evangelista, Denis Gougeon, Isabelle
Panneton and Alan Belkin. A resident of Quebec since 1987,
Jutta Puchhammer has firmly established herself on
both the national and international stage. She has made numerous
tours in Europe and Japan. She is also teaching at the
Université de Montréal and gives master class at the
Juilliard School of New York. In June 2006 she presided over the
34th International Viola Congress in Montreal, where she was
presented the Maurice Raley Awardfor her contributions to the
international viola community. Paul Stewart has
performed as a soloist with the symphony orchestras of Montreal,
Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver, and has given recitals throughout
the world. He has also accompanied such artists as Maureen
Forrester and Jessye Norman. Since 2002, he has taught piano at the
Université de Montréal.
Whatever your musical preferences, LES
MÉLODÎNES will brighten up your
autumn!
A co-production of the Société Pro Musica
and Place des Arts.
Where: Piano nobile and Studio-théâtre, Place des
Arts
175 St. Catherine St. West
When: Thursdays from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.
Admission: $8 (taxes included) – Bring your lunch!
Reservations: Place des Arts Box Office at 514-842-2112 /
1-866-842-2112 or laplacedesarts.com
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Source: Sylvie Deslauriers
Des Lauriers Communications
514-274-0149
cinecom@ca.inter.net
