Prepare to be transported by breathtaking artistic performances and immersed in a vibrant cultural universe. Whether you're a passionate music lover or simply looking for a fun summer activity, this festival has everything you need to seduce you.
The Lanaudière Festival will be presenting a number of major concerts, and here are a few suggestions to help you choose the one that will thrill you.
MAJOR CONCERTS BY THE ORCHESTRE SYMPHONIQUE DE MONTRÉAL
JULY 4 - OPENING CONCERT - CARMINA BURANA BY RAFAEL PAYARE
Carmina Burana is one of the most spectacular and recognizable of classical works. With its powerful choruses, intense music and enduring arias, Carl Orff deals with very human themes: the ups and downs of life, pleasure, desire, nature and destiny. For this concert, the work is performed by a large choir, an impressive orchestra and three exceptional soloists. Two other works are added to this already powerful program: a piece by Rachmaninov, renowned for its virtuosity, and a creation by composer Lera Auerbach, inspired by ancient myths. The result: an intense musical evening, rich in emotion and contrast.
JULY 5 - MONUMENTAL BRUNKNER BY RAFAEL PAYARE
Rafael Payare has rapidly established himself as a specialist in the great Germanic repertoire. Mahler, Strauss, Wagner and Beethoven have all been brilliantly tackled in recent seasons. This summer, he tackles a monument: Bruckner's Eighth Symphony. An immense work, without intermission, as powerful as it is spiritual. This symphony is often described as a veritable musical cathedral - and it brings a weekend of concerts to a close with intensity and depth.
AUGUST 1-2 - THE GRAND RETURN OF KENT NAGANO WITH THE ORCHESTRE SYMPHONIQUE DE MONTRÉAL
Kent Nagano is without doubt one of the most outstanding conductors on the Quebec and Canadian music scene. After conducting the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal for over 15 years, he finally makes his long-awaited return to Lanaudière, for the first time since 2021, as conductor emeritus of the OSM.
These two concerts bring together works he knows intimately and conducts with internationally recognized mastery. Surrounded by high-caliber soloists, Kent Nagano offers a richly contrasting program spanning several eras and styles, from late Romanticism to twentieth-century modernity.
On the program, depending on the date chosen: Webern's Passacaglia in D minor, Debussy's Rhapsody for Clarinet, and Brahms' Symphony No. 3, a masterpiece of balance and emotion. The concert will also include the last movement of Ligeti's Concert românesc, Mozart's Sinfonia concertante for violin and viola, and Schubert's masterful Symphony No. 9 in C major, nicknamed “The Great”.
An exceptional musical event, worthy of the maestro's legacy.
THE METROPOLITAN ORCHESTRA'S MAJOR CONCERTS
JULY 27 - YANNICK AND YUJA
Yuja Wang and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Two of the world's greatest artists, accomplices on stage and in life. Together, they shine on the most prestigious stages, but they're taking the time to stop off in Lanaudière for an exceptional concert, their very own way of celebrating Ravel's birthday.
This is pianist Yuja Wang's very first appearance at the Festival, an event in itself. Alongside her, Yannick Nézet-Séguin returns to the Orchestre Métropolitain, with whom he shares a history deeply linked to Lanaudière. On the program: two masterpieces by Ravel - the Concerto for the Left Hand and the Concerto in G major - preceded by Lili Boulanger's luminous short piece D'un matin de printemps, and followed by Sibelius's majestic Second Symphony. A summer highlight not to be missed.
AUGUST 3 - TRISTAN ET ISOLDE: FINAL APOTHEOSIS
The 48th edition of the Festival de Lanaudière ends in style with the closing concert presented by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Orchestre Métropolitain. They will perform a concert version of Tristan und Isolde, Richard Wagner's major work. Often called “the opera of operas”, Tristan und Isolde is an immense love poem combining eroticism and death, inspired by a medieval legend. His musical style completely transformed the operatic genre.
But that's not all: several other concerts promise to make this edition of the festival simply incredible. A rich and varied program awaits you, ready to thrill you all season long. You can also read our blog on everything there is to know about the Festival de Lanaudière in general, so you can plan your visit this summer.
To consult the complete program, click HERE.
