Saturday, February 19, 2011

Festival international Montréal/Nouvelles Musiques: 5th edition (2011)

The 5th edition of the Festival international Montréal/Nouvelles Musiques (2011) returns to showcase the avant-garde music scene. The theme this year is “Music in Motion.” The festival also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Semaine internationale de musique actuelle — the founding event in 1961 for Quebec’s new music scene organized by Pierre Mercure.

Many of the concerts feature a fusion between artistic disciplines. Nine of the concerts feature dance. Others draw on video art and performance. Jean-François Laporte mounts an audio-visual installation called Khrônos. In addition, there will be after hours events, a music lounge, conference and roundtable discussion.

One of the more interesting-sounding performances will be a composition by the festival's director Walter Boudreau. His piece Apportez Votre Cellulaire is an audience participation piece for organ, harpsichord, wind quintet, electronics and cellphones from the audience. The audience will be divided into twelve sections, each with its own conductor. There will be a twenty minute rehearsal before it is performed.

http://www.festivalmnm.ca/en/2011/
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