Concours musical international de Montréal Announces New Leadership

 Chantal Poulin will become executive director and Shira Gilbert will take on the artistic director position

Founded in 2001, Canada’s Concours musical international de Montréal (CMIM) is an annual competition that cycles between editions for violin, piano, and voice.

Announced by CMIM’s board of directors chair, Louise Roy, the organization has welcomed Chantal Poulin as new executive director and Shira Gilbert for the role of artistic director.

Both incoming appointments will succeed Christiane LeBlanc, who led CMIM for 10 editions since 2012 and announced her retirement last February.

Poulin and Gilbert assumed the interim general management of the CMIM in May 2023 and played key roles in the success of the last three seasons of CMIM.

With over 20 years of experience, in the arts and culture field, Poulin joined CMIM in 2019 in communications, logistics, and production work, before heading into its general management team in August 2021. She holds history and arts degrees from the Université du Québec à Montréal, plus studied oboe at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal with Lise Beauchamp.

Gilbert joined CMIM in Fall of 2022. As a communications consultant, she has worked with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Azrieli Music Prizes, and Festival de musique de chambre de Montréal, among acclaimed artists and ensembles, plus served as the publicity manager for Deutsche Grammophon and Decca. An Ontario native, she studied voice performance at the University of Toronto.

“Following a rigorous process of several months, and after an evaluation of internal and external candidates, both Canadian and international, the Board of Directors of the CMIM is delighted to have found within the existing organization a solid team to take the helm of our competition,” Roy said.

“Since their respective arrivals at the Concours, Chantal Poulin and Shira Gilbert have demonstrated their remarkable talents,” she continued. “All of the Board members of the Concours and its Foundation join me in welcoming the appointment of this expert and complementary duo, whom we know will continue the tradition of excellence of our organization, and pursue it even further.”

“Working together and sharing our passion with those around us is a true pleasure. We are energized by the prospect of continuing the work we have begun in taking the CMIM to new heights,” said Poulin and Gilbert. “We would like to thank the Board of Directors for their confidence and commitment. 

“We feel privileged to collaborate with the excellent CMIM team, which we will be adding to in the coming weeks,” they added. “We look forward to reuniting with our valued partners and to connecting with the exceptional young artists we'll be welcoming to Montreal for the piano edition in 2024, voice in 2025, and more to come.”

Since its inception, CMIM has received applications from 5,000 young musicians across 90 countries, who have trained at renowned music schools and are looking to further their music careers. Through its live performances and live streaming platforms, CMIM editions have reached over 1 million views globally.

As of September 1 to October 31, 2023, pianists worldwide, born between 1994 and 2007 inclusive, can apply for CMIM’s 2024 edition for piano. For more information, click here.