I Musici de Montréal (String Orchestra)

Founded: 1983 - Montréal, Canada

I Musici de Montréal is a string orchestra, founded 1983 in Montreal. Comprising 15 musicians selected among graduates of McGill University, University of Montreal and Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal, I Musici was founded by its conductor, Yuli Turovsky. Although it recorded as an ensemble before it appeared in concert, it gave its inaugural concert on November 8, 1984 at Redpath Hall, McGill University. Eleonora Turovsky has been concertmaster since the orchestra's inception. In 1990, I Musici de Montréal became a permanent orchestra with a 48-week season, including 64 concerts in Montreal and abroad, and a regular series of eight concerts.

The ensemble has given concerts in the USA, Korea, and Canada, in particular at the Festival d'été international de Québec, the Festival international de Lanaudière and the Jeunesses musicales of Canada Orford Art Centre. It has been heard regularly on CBC radio.

The ensemble's repertoire spans all musical periods from the baroque era to the 21^st century. I Musici has premiered commissioned works, among them Brian Cherney's Illuminations in 1988. In 1990, the orchestra played the film score for Charlie Chaplin's movie City Lights during its showing at the Grand Théâtre de Québec.

Following a concert by I Musici, Claude Gingras observed: 'I have never heard this young orchestra play with such purity of sound and concept, and maintain such a high quality of performance and spiritual commitment from the beginning to the end of a concert' (Montreal La Presse, May 11, 1986).

Soloists

I Musici frequently includes guest soloists in its concerts. In 1986, Gary Karr, bass soloist, joined the orchestra for a concert; in 2004, I Musici featured several soloists in its concert series, including Rivka Golani (viola), Dudu Carmel (flute), and Eyad Ein-Habar (oboe). In 2004, Henri Oppenheim (accordion), Airat Ichmouratov (clarinet), Elvira Misbakhova (violin), Alain Legault (guitar) and Mark Peetsma (double bass) performed solos for the I Musici CD Klezmer (Chandos).

Recordings and Awards

Prior to its concert debut, the ensemble had made three albums for Chandos, including Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 14, which won a Diapason d'Or.

In 1987 I Musici was declared ensemble of the year by the Canadian Music Council, in addition to winning the Félix Award as best classical ensemble in 1988. In 1996, its recording Alberto Ginastera/Heitor Villa-Lobos/Evangelista (Chandos/SRI) won the Félix Award for best classical album, orchestra or large ensemble, and in 1997 won the Juno Award for best classical album. In 1998, I Musici was awarded two Opus awards by the Conseil Québécois de la musique, for recording event of the year and best recording. The following year, the ensemble won the Grand Prix from the Montreal Urban Community Arts Council for its "outstanding contribution to the advancement of music throughout the Montreal Urban Community" (Orchestra Canada 1999). In 2001, BBC Music Magazine named I Musici's 40^th CD its CD of the month. I Musici was nominated for two Félix awards in 2006, and received a Juno nomination in 2010 for its album Tchaikovsky: souvenir de Florence, Quartet no. 1

Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia © 2010 Historica Foundation of Canada (Authors: Nadia Turbide, Emily-Jane Orford)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (July 2010)

Recordings of Bach’s Instrumental Works

Conductor

As

Works

Yuli Turovsky

Orchestra

Bach-Honegger: Prélude, Arioso & Fughette sur le nom de Bach, for piano, H81, arranged for string orchestra

Links to other Sites

I Musici de Montréal (The Canadian Encyclopedia)

I Musici de Montréal (Official Website) [French/English]