March 2023 – Festival de la Voix celebrates 10 years of outstanding concerts and workshops with an entire month of music. Vox Aeterna is proud to present this unique annual festival that promotes live music, Canadian composers and musicians, and professional and emerging artists in eight eclectic concerts and 3 remarkable workshops, as well as special presentations for elementary and high school students. From April 1-28 in the West Island (Dorval, Beaconsfield, Hudson, Pointe-Claire, Sainte-Geneviève) and Westmount, Festival de la Voix Founder and Artistic Director Kerry-Anne Kutz welcomes people from all over the city to explore, enjoy and celebrate the beauty, versatility and power of music and the human voice. This tenth anniversary welcomes back some of the favourite performers from the past ten years, with most concerts in acoustically beautiful churches.
Prestigious Award Winners| Returning Favourites | Family Concerts | Choirs |Workshops
A singer/songwriter, recording artist and voice teacher, festival founder Kutz’ mission was to provide her students and the wider community with the opportunity to discover exceptional professional singers and instrumentalists of various genres in concert, as well as the chance to learn from these artists in workshops and masterclasses. Kutz is honoured and overjoyed marking this important milestone, “We have produced countless diverse concerts highlighting some of Quebec’s finest artists, as well as choirs from across the country, along with a platform for emerging artists to showcase their talents. The Festival continues to grow year after year; I eagerly anticipate welcoming music lovers of all ages,” she said.
The month of music’s diverse mix of styles and voices kicks off with a double concert featuring the all-women Blue Dawn Quartet performing a captivating piece in Yiddish by Montreal composer/singer Rona Nadler, and the authentic spiritual music of IMANI Gospel Singers led by Marcia Bailey (April 1). The impressive lineup doesn’t stop: Quartom, one of Canada’s finest male quartets offers the sweeping program, From the Renaissance to Today (April 2); tickets are going fast for C’est si bon de danser featuring Radio Canada host Claude Saucier and an 18-piece big band playing unforgettable melodies from the ‘40s and ‘50s in a great ballroom atmosphere (April 6); acclaimed vocalist, actor, songwriter Ranee Lee celebrates her 80th birthday with a performance of Dark Divas highlighting the music of Josephine Baker, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and Pearl Bailey backed by her septet (April 15); Quebec icon singer/songwriter/pianist Daniel Lavoie is back on stage for the first time in six years in Tension Attention – 40 ans to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of his hailed album of the same name (April 16); this year’s Grand Concert showcases exceptional baroque soprano, Myriam Leblanc in an exquisite Vivaldi program with Ensemble Mirabilia, as well as the West Island choir Opus 16 (April 22);
Nikamu Mamuitun (Chansons rassembleuses) highlights the intercultural creativity of young First Nations and Québécois singer/songwriters’ original songs and stories in an upbeat, moving rock/pop show (April 23);
and a free concert from Les Fusiliers de Mont-Royal, outstanding musicians/reservists with the Canadian military along with soprano Kerry-Anne Kutz in a program for the whole family (April 28).
Festival de la Voix goes to school– The festival also offers school concerts, an invaluable way to encourage children to engage with live performance. The 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron Band, professional musicians who are also reservists with the Canadian military, will play for music students from Beaconsfield High and John Rennie High Schools. MusiqueMosaïque has elementary and secondary school children participating in a cross-cultural concert including the Buffalo Hat Singers from Kahnawake, Middle Eastern musicians OktoEcho and Fatima Wilson Steelpan Drums, among others.
Celebrating 10 years of the festival means the world to Kutz, “I am deeply grateful to the artists for their exceptional performances over the past ten years, to our community of music lovers and volunteers and to our vital financial support,” she said. Musicians are thrilled to be part of this popular festival. Blue Dawn Quartet is excited for the wonderful opportunity to offer this unique Yiddish song cycle based on texts by Yiddish poet Kadya Molodowsky, “We can’t wait to share the sounds and stories of In Bloyen Baginen (at the blue dawn), songs which are so special to our ensemble.” From Quartom, “With melodies from Rameau to the Beatles, via Schubert and Cohen, we are thrilled to be back in the flesh as part of this 10th edition after virtual performances. Hallelujah!” “The IMANI Gospel Singers or individual members have had the pleasure of connecting with Kerry-Anne Kutz and performing in Festival de la Voix over the past 6 years alongside other amazing artists,” said choir Director Marcia Bailey.
High-calibre workshops on offer this year are Acting and Physicalizing Text with Centaur Theatre Artistic Director, Eda Holmes (April 1); Understanding Chords with sought-after pianist, Chad Linsley (April 15); and The Artistry of Singing, a masterclass for solo singers from Montreal’s ‘First Lady of Jazz’, Ranee Lee (April 22).
Festival de la Voix welcomes all, from grade school to seniors, to celebrate music and the joy of spring.
Festival de la Voix 10th edition, April 1-28, 2023 www.festivaldelavoix.com
Complete festival program, dates, venues and artist bios with music excerpts at
Tickets for most* matinee and evening shows: $25 students/seniors, $30 regular
*C’est si bon de danser: – $74; Tension attention 40 ans with Daniel Lavoie- $45;
Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal Concert Band- FREE.
Buy the festival concert Passport. Workshops: $30-$40
For further information: (514) 758-3641 kkutz@videotron.ca
Vox Aeterna is a non-profit organization dedicated to the support of music in the community; its main production is the Festival de la Voix. It is also committed to promoting the music of Québecois and Canadian composers with its Art Songs of Canada program, which brings together composers from across the country to work with voice students and collaborators at universities and conservatories.
