The intrepid and dedicated members of Ensemble Paramirabo come together as a single voice to perform contemporary music, showcase emerging Canadian composers, and expand the boundaries of the traditional concert experience. As a creator of innovative events, the group provides young composers with a venue for refining their trademark within Montreal’s vibrant new music scene and act as a springboard for exposure abroad. The ensemble’s flutist, Jeffrey Stonehouse, has been the group’s artistic director since its founding.
Taking its name from the piece Paramirabo, by Montreal composer Claude Vivier, the ensemble’s roots date back to 2008 at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. The ensemble has toured internationally to Belgium, England and Mexico and has been invited to Festival LOOP and Ars Musica (Mons, Liège and Bruxelle, 2019), Waterloo Region Contemporary Music Sessions (2018), Frontiers Festival (Birmingham, 2016), Eduardo Mata Festival (Oaxaca, 2016), New York’s Mise-En Festival (2014), Winnipeg’s Cluster New Music Festival and Montreal Contemporary Music Lab (2013). Paramirabo has been ensemble-in-residence for the Domaine Forget International Music and Dance Academy’s New Music Session since 2017.
Founded in 2007, Le Vivier is a specialized broadcaster formed by the 56-member association and musical organizations. Le Vivier's mission is to promote the development of new music and to offer everyone, through the dissemination of quality works, an open door to culture. The Vivier's mission is to promote the development of new music and to offer everyone, through the dissemination of quality works, an open door to culture. The Vivier always favours creation, research and innovation, whether the works are drawn from the local, national or international repertoire. Its mission is based on 3 axes: dissemination, cultural mediation and improvement of practice.
In addition to the concert season, Le Vivier carries out a series of cultural activities for citizens, families, schools and creators: awareness activities; accessibility programs; development and outreach projects.
Le Vivier also contributes to the advancement of the practice of new music by providing adequate and well-equipped concert, rehearsal and meeting rooms at accessible costs; by carrying out residency, mentoring and research/creation projects; and by promoting new music.
A crossroads for new music in Montreal, Le Vivier has been located at the Gesù since 2015.
In residence at the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Music, the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne (NEM) is a chamber orchestra of 15 permanent musicians that performs in Quebec, Canada and internationally. Lorraine Vaillancourt is the founder and Music Director.
Since its founding in 1989, the NEM has built a solid reputation. A key leader in its milieu, the ensemble is known for its modern approach and excellence in all aspects of the interpretation, composition and preservation of musical works of the 20th and 21st centuries.
In its musical practice, the NEM has always striven to share its passion and know-how with new generations. The ensemble regularly organizes events to train emerging musicians in interpreting new music and give voice to young composers from here and elsewhere. Over the past 30 years, the NEM has given more than 525 performances of all kinds (concerts, open rehearsals, workshops, opera, etc.). Over the course of these performances:
In addition, the NEM has organized 13 editions of the Forum International des Jeunes Compositeurs, 18 editions of the Rencontres de Musique Nouvelle and over 40 tours in Asia (China, Japan, Singapore), Australia, USA, Europe (Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Netherlands, Italy, United Kingdom), Mexico and Canada (Banff, Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg). The NEM has received many honours, including 15 Opus Awards, most recently in January 2020, and recorded 34 albums dedicated to contemporary composers and music.