Quasar's 30th Anniversary Season

Roxanne Wednesday, October 9, 2024 - 08:47 Press releases, Concerts, General, Projects

In 2024-2025, the Quasar saxophone quartet celebrates its 30th anniversary in style!

Montreal, October 2, 2024 - On the eve of blowing out its 30th candle, Quasar saxophone quartet embarks on an ambitious season, worthy of the passion and creativity of its four founding members. From outdoor concerts in Quebec City and Montreal, to a European tour, film screenings, the launch of a new cabaret project, and not forgetting the prestigious Montreal Series highlighting new music and international partnerships, fans are sure to find something to enjoy this year.

European tour - Lithuania, Sweden
At the beginning of October, the quartet heads off to Klaipeda (Music of Changes Festival), Kaunas and Vilnius (Musical Autumn Festival) to present concerts, master classes and workshops. In addition to premiering works by Lithuanian composers, Quasar remains true to its roots and will present several Quebec and Canadian works, all commissioned by the quartet in the past: Rebonds cosmiques by Sophie Dupuis, Bestiaire by Émilie Girard-Charest, Breathing Room by Gordon Williamson.

Shortly afterwards, the Quasar musicians will join their loyal collaborators: the Stockholm Saxophone Quartet!

SAXOCTET - A grandiose Quebec-Swedish saxophone collaboration
After successful collaborations in 2019 and 2021, the 8 saxophonist-virtuosos are back with a new program that will be presented a total of six times in Sweden and Quebec. In addition to two new works commissioned from Gordon Williamson (CA) and Martina Tomner (SE), audiences will hear Jenny Hettne's Swirls and Shades (SE), Saxoctet in tribute to the late José Evangelista (CA), and the premiere of a new version for saxophone octet of Yannick Plamondon's Passage (CA).

The concert series culminates on Thursday, October 24 at the prestigious Salle Bourgie, to launch Quasar's Série Montréalaise 2024-2025 en grand. It promises to be a memorable evening, not to be missed in this busy cultural season.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

October 15, 2024: Malmö (Sweden) | Tickets

October 16, 2024 : Västerås (Sweden) | Tickets

October 18, 2024 : Stockholm (Sweden) | Tickets

October 24, 2024 : Montréal, Bourgie Hall
Fiery Encounter : 6:30 p.m.
Concert : 7:30 p.m. - Presented in collaboration with Le Vivier | Tickets

October 27, 2024 : Chicoutimi (Québec) - Festival des musiques de création (FMC) | Tickets

October 29, 2024 : Québec (Québec) - Conservatoire de musique de Québec - Free admission

MCGILL SAXOPHONE DAYS
On October 25 and 26, the McGill Saxophone Days are finally back after a pandemic break! High school and university saxophone students, as well as professional saxophonists, are invited to take part in these two days of meetings, presentations and master classes, culminating in a grand concert. The North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) will also be on hand with conferences, round tables and other presentations.

Registration Mandatory

CINÉ-QUASAR - Triptych launch and anniversary celebrations
Another not-to-be-missed event: the screening of Quasar's cinematic triptych, three works by Quebec composers in three art films, accompanied by three documentaries by director Simon Roberge. Come and (re)discover Sonia Paço-Rocchia's Ode au Métal, Walter Boudreau's Chaleurs and Thierry Tidrow's Entre Nous in all their glory, with behind-the-scenes access to the creation of these three landmark shows in Quasar's career. At the same time, come and celebrate the quartet's 30th anniversary with its founding members and other collaborators in a festive and convivial atmosphere.

CINÉ-QUASAR | Saturday, November 30, 2024
Details and tickets coming soon

THE EXPERIMENTAL CABARETS - New intimate and eclectic evenings produced by Quasar
In 2025, Quasar's very first experimental cabaret will take place, a brand-new concept in which Quasar's musicians will share the stage at their Port-Royal Street location with artists and collaborators from all artistic spheres: theater, dance, music, and more. Details of the first edition to follow.

OTHER CONCERTS - Série Montréalaise and Série Invitation
In 2025, Quasar will present two more concerts in the Série Montréalaise, co-presented with Le Vivier: the first in March and the second in May, which will be the culmination of the Québec-Bavière project, a two-year collaboration between Quebec and Bavarian composers to present six new works for saxophone quartet.

In parallel, you can see Quasar burn up the stage at Théâtre Alphonse-Desjardins in Repentigny (in collaboration with Aramusique), at the Maison Musicale de Warwick, at Salle Jean-Grimaldi in Montreal, and many others. Full details are available on quasar4.com