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INFUSION BAROQUE
Mécénat Musica’s support of Infusion Baroque culminated in the group’s 2024 album East is East. According to the group’s violinist, Sallynee Amawat, the album is a “dynamic, intercultural collaboration of artists from Western European, Persian and Indian traditions.”
Since its inception in 2013, Infusion Baroque has aimed to draw new audiences to early music. Its four members—violinist Amawat, as well as Alexa Raine-Wright (baroque flute and recorder), Andrea Stewart (baroque cello) and Rona Nadler (harpsichord)—prioritize historical accuracy. “Infusion Baroque’s practice has been to champion rare and underheard voices in the field of early music through research and close collaborations with artists of other musical specialties,” says Amawat.
One such collaboration, the album East is East, welcomes guest artists Amir Amiri (santur), Vidita Kanniks (vocals), Thibault Bertin-Maghit (double bass), Hamin Honari (tombak & daf), Hank Knox (harpsichord) and Shawn Mativetsky (tabla). East is East received nominations for a Prix Opus Album of the Year in World Music, and a Juno Classical Album of the Year in the Small Ensemble category.
Amawat says that the support the group received from Mécénat Musica was imperative to the creation of this album. Further, she believes that the funding assisted not only Infusion Baroque, but also the Quebec arts scene in general. “Its support allows artists like Infusion Baroque to continue to create and produce high quality, meaningful projects that contribute to the diversity of Montreal’s and Quebec’s dynamic artistic milieu,” she says.
Sortilegio
Sortilegio, a new opera created with Leoria Productions, “[bridges]the gap between musical theatre and contemporary opera,” says director and librettist Vivianne Delorme. During their crowdfunding campaign, which garnered over $10,000 of public support, the creators shared their excitement about bringing a story of fairy tales and magic to the operatic stage.
Leoria Productions, a young Montreal-based company, creates shows rooted in fantasy, historical drama and science fiction. These genre-fiction influences culminated in Sortilegio, the story of three inhabitants of the fantastical city of Cérulée. The composers, Canadians Elizabeth Raum and Giancarlo Scalia, use excerpts of existing operas to complement their own compositions.
At every stage of production, Delorme strives for a marriage of public accessibility and institutional prestige. “My goal as director and librettist,” she says, “is to create new works that appeals to a wide audience whilst celebrating opera’s legacy.” The production company’s 2023 fundraising efforts mirrored this goal, relying on both public support and grants from Mécénat Musica.
Mécénat Musica reached out to the organization and offered a grant of $2,500 “with one condition: we had to reach our $10,000 crowdfunding goal,” says Delorme. Leoria Productions met this goal and even surpassed it by 10 per cent, culminating in the presentation of the opera in late 2023.
Quatuor Cobalt
Quatuor Cobalt—made up of Guillaume Villeneuve and Diane Bayard (violin), Clément Bufferne (alto) and François Leclerc (cello)—brings together early music and contemporary pieces in an effort to democratize access to classical music. Villeneuve says the ensemble “aims to modernize classical concerts and strengthen the ties between the public and cultural actors.” The musicians perform classic pieces and recent compositions alike on historical instruments such as a Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume 1866 violin, an Antonio Gragnani 1751 violin, and a Pietro Antonio Cateni cello (c. 1790-1810).
The group’s concert series, Les Ruelles Musicales, or Musical Alleys, takes classical music to Montreal’s streets, community centres, parks and private homes. Quatuor Cobalt aims to challenge “stylistic and social barriers,” says Villeneuve, by bringing professional performances to everyday locations.
Reflets du temps (Reflections of time), the quartet’s debut album with GFN Productions, received major public support in addition to critical acclaim. It is a musical mosaic of compositions by Maddalena Laura Lombardini Sirmen, Fanny Hensel Mendelssohn, and Alicia Terzian, composers who shaped the Classical, Romantic and Contemporary periods.
Mécénat Musica provided $2,500 toward this project and supported Quatuor Cobalt in their crowdfunding efforts. “Mécénat Musica’s sustainable vision, its concrete support for arts organizations, and its innovative model of collaboration between donors and artists convinced us to join,” says Villeneuve. “By strengthening the stability of musical institutions, Mécénat Musica ensures long-term job security for the cultural sector.”
Ensemble de violoncelles de Montréal
Ensemble de violoncelles de Montréal is a valuable community resource which ensures that children who show interest and talent in classical music are afforded opportunities to pursue their passion without financial barriers. The ensemble currently includes more than 40 young musicians who are supported by a small faculty of educators and professional musicians.
In addition to learning from prominent local musicians, members of the ensemble perform alongside them. In the past, students have performed concerts across Montreal with cellists Genevieve Guimond and Gary Russell of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, educator David Evenchick and pianist Sandra Hunt.
Ensemble de violoncelles de Montréal has also released eight albums, all with colourful and lively covers created by the students. Paintings of cats playing cello and instruments flying through the air decorate the recordings. These albums help support the group’s mission of providing talented Montreal children with musical opportunities.
Ensemble de violoncelles de Montréal provides each young musician with a full or partial scholarship to support their studies. Mécénat Musica has been an important contributor to these scholarships. In late 2023, Ensemble de violoncelles de Montréal launched a crowdfunding campaign, raising funds for music education. “Mécénat Musica matched this amount, doubling the impact for the program,” says Program Director Josh Fink.
This campaign garnered unprecedented support for the organization. “The matching incentive encouraged first-time donors to give and returning donors to increase their support,” says Fink.
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