Montreal Chamber Music Festival Announces 2024 Season

Eight world-class concerts will be held at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts from June 13–23, 2024

To celebrate its 29th edition this year, the Montreal Chamber Music Festival (MCMF) was founded in 1995 by renowned cellist and conductor Denis Brott to present concerts featuring emerging artists alongside seasoned professionals.

In advance of this year's festival in June, audiences can watch concerts from previous editions on The Violin Channel! See the schedule below! Enjoy the April 11, April 25, and May 9 concerts!

With its motto of “Dive into music’s passion,” the 2024 MCMF will feature eight concerts in Salle Bourgie at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, as well as a closing concert at La Maison Symphonique, for the second year running. 

The festival’s diverse programming will also feature in five additional lunchtime concerts, which will be dedicated to winners of the Canada Council Musical Instrument Bank.

On June 13, violinist and VC Artist Kerson Leong will perform with pianist Illia Ovcharenko in “Soirée Virtuose - Violin Obsession,” which will also feature the Barbican Quartet. 

In “Pour l'amour du violoncelle” on June 14, multiple cellos will perform, including the Galvin Cello Quartet, as well as Cameron Crozman, Chloé Dominguez, Leland Ko, Bruno Tobon, and soprano Aline Kutan. 

On June 15, artists from the previous evening will be joined by Giora Schmidt, Shannon Lee, Gregory Lewis, Emma Meinrenken, Lambert Chen, Annie Parent, and Eric Chappell in works by Elgar and Britten. 

Titled “Les passions de Clara,” the concert on June 16 will explore and expound upon the supposed love triangle between Clara and Robert Schumann and their protégé, Brahms; a world premiere script by Geneviève Rochette will also feature during the performance, as well as a performance by actor Jean Marchand.

On June 20, “Klezmer, Gershwin and All that Jazz” will feature the Festival Strings alongside the clarinet virtuoso David Krakauer in two premiere arrangements of works by Gershwin — An American in Paris and Rhapsody in Blue. 

Violinist James Ehnes and his ensemble, the Ehnes Quartet, will perform Beethoven’s famed Op. 59, “Razumovsky” string quartets on June 21. Similarly, “L’Alto de Beethoven” on June 22 will feature the same group alongside former violist of the VC Artist Dover Quartet, Milena Pajaro-Van De Stadt, who stepped down from Dover in 2022. 

The closing concert finale on June 23 at La Maison Symphonique will see Ehnes performing all six of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos with the Festival Bach ensemble (comprising Andrew Wan, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Che-Yen Chen, Victor Fournelle-Blain, Milena Pajaro-Van de Stadt, Edward Arron, Denis Brott, and Eric Chappell), and the Festival Bach ensemble (featuring Joanna G'Froerer, Christopher West, Charles Hamann, Josée Marchand, Anna Petersen, Stéphane Lévesque, Jens Lindemann; Catherine Turner, Louis-Philippe Marsolais, and Luc Beauséjour).

Since MCMF’s inception, over 100,000 spectators have attended more than 200 of its concerts and recitals, which have in turn won numerous awards over the years — in 2023, Brott was honored as a knight of Canada’s National Order of Quebec.

“I’m extremely excited about presenting this edition, which is packed with local and international talent,” said Brott, who also serves as MCMF’s artistic director. “Every year, this event means so much more to me than just a series of concerts. It's a living legacy, a testament to dedication and passion for chamber music. The meticulous preparation, attention to detail and care given to every aspect of the Festival reflect the love we have for this event. I couldn't be prouder to share this experience with our loyal audience.”

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