Experience Québec
Festivals
Let the music play!
Music soothes the soul. A well-known proverb, but does it still hold true today? Listening to Mozart is supposed to increase one’s IQ. A fascinating thought! This summer will be the perfect occasion to test these premises yourself, for all of Québec will be throbbing to the beat of its many music festivals. Events will feature baroque music, romantic melodies or inspiring vocals, classical themes or modern and electronic airs. You can enjoy performances ranging from chamber music to outdoor concerts... Summer’s here... get ready to turn up the volume!
This summer’s festivals offer something for everyone. The festival schedule includes performances from various genres, varying from month to month. From Charlevoix’s open spaces, Montréal’s asphalt streets and Québec City’s trendiest districts, melodies will be heard from east to west, warming the souls of residents and visitors alike. Below is a quick look at what this summer has in store.
A concert with a view
You can count on marvellous concerts-the stuff memories are made of-during this year’s Montréal Chamber Music Festival, The Montréal Chamber Music Festival’s 13th season will take place at the St. James United Church in downtown Montréal. From May 1st to May 24, 2008. Music over the St. Lawrence
The Festival international du Domaine Forget holds its own against the Montréal Chamber Music Festival. Held in one of Québec’s most beautiful spots, with a glorious view of the majestic St. Lawrence, this international concert features pleasing music. Visit the Web site for more programming details. From June 21 to August 31, 2008. Jazz here, jazz there, jazz everywhere
Not to be missed! Dear to all Montréalers and ranked as the number one jazz festival worldwide by Guinness World Records, the Festival international de jazz de Montréal once again has numerous surprises in store this year. For more details on the Festival’s 150 indoor concerts and 350 free outdoor performances, see the Festival Web site. From June 26 to July 6, 2008. When music mutates
MUTEK is a melding of music and technology, performed for the great pleasure of an eclectic audience. The sixth edition of this innovative and unusual event will feature 50 artists from 15 countries. MUTEK is your passport to discovering a world in constant transformation.
The Société des arts technologiques (SAT) welcomes canadian artists from different backgrounds, experienced or new to the musical scene are invited to collaborate and initiate creative/diffusionary works on site. From May 28 to June 1, 2008.
Lyrical lunches... al fresco
Seurat could only nod in agreement at the comparison drawn between his famous painting and the site of the Festival international de Lanaudière, for the Lanaudière outdoor amphitheatre in Joliette offers a landscape that is strikingly similar to that of the park on Grande Jatte Island. A perfect spot for the musical picnics scheduled each Sunday afternoon. The festival programming includes over 80 varied performances. From July 5 to August 3, 2008.
Piknic à la techno
How many cities can boast of having a massive outdoor discotheque, complete with a dance floor over which hangs one of Alexander Calder’s most magnificent works? Montréal can! For the past three summers, the city’s "piknic" has been growing in numbers and decibels! "The vision behind Piknic Electronik is to present innovative musical performers and thereby make it possible for Montréalers and visitors to expand their musical horizons," explains event spokesperson Nicolas Cournoyer. To participate, just show up with your lunch and a smile! Performances are held every Sunday from May 18 to September 28, 2008, between 1:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.Sacred music
It’s official: Québec has something for every musical taste! The church in the newly revitalized and renovated Saint-Roch district of Québec City is the scene of the Québec City Festival of Sacred Music, which offers music inspired by spiritual tendencies from around the world, from the beginning of time to the present day. The event runs from October 23 to November 2, 2008. You can already hear the horns, the violins, the tambourines? Join the crowd! Don’t deny yourself the pleasure. This summer, discover the sounds of Québec’s regions and elsewhere. Let the music begin! | more programming details on this summer’s festivals... |
André Quenneville
2008-04-10
