The Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal is a professional

early music Early music generally comprises Medieval music (500–1400) and Renaissance music (1400–1600), but can also include Baroque music (1600–1750). Originating in Europe, early music is a broad musical era for the beginning of Western classic ...

vocal ensemble A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...

based in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...

, Canada.

History

The group was co-founded in 1974 by the

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

and

harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a ...

players Christopher Jackson, Réjean Poirier and

Hélène Dugal Helene or Hélène may refer to: People * Helene (given name), a Greek feminine given name *Helen of Troy, the daughter of Zeus and Leda *Helene, a figure in Greek mythology who was a friend of Aphrodite and helped her seduce Adonis *Helene (A ...

, and became an important part of the early music revival in Montréal during the 1970s. Jackson became the ensemble's sole director in 1988. During the 1980s and 90s the group gave almost 90 concerts in France and Spain including performing and recording early music connected to Montréal and New France. In 2015, Andrew McAnerney was appointed Artistic Director following the death of Christopher Jackson.

Concerts

The Studio produces an annual season of ten concerts in Montréal, and appears regularly at festivals throughout Canada and internationally. Notable collaborations have included Jordi Savall, Emma Kirkby, Ton Koopman, Skip Sempé, Guillemette Laurens, Matthias Maute, Noel Edison, Suzie LeBlanc and Daniel Taylor (countertenor), Daniel Taylor. The ensemble is flexible drawing on a regular core of professional vocalists and instrumentalists. Season concerts vary from a small ''a cappella'' ensemble with 12–14 singers, through to large-scale combined orchestra and chorus with a chamber orchestra made up of Historically informed performance#Early instruments, period instruments.

Discography

Since its inception, the group has released 17 recordings, most recently on the ATMA Classique label. * 1981 Heinrich Schütz, ''Historia der Geburt Jesu Christi'' * 1993 Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, ''Musique des Vêpres pour solistes, chœur et orchestre'' * 1995 Henri Desmarets, ''Quatre motets lorrains'' * 1995 Histoires sacrées, ''Oratorios de Carisimi et Charpentier'' * 1995 ''Le chant de la Jérusalem des terres froides'' * 1997 ''Palestrina, Missa «Ut, Ré, Mi, Fa, Sol, La» and other sacred works'' * 1998 ''Heavenly Spheres'' * 2001 ''Montréal et les Indiens Abénakis'' (reissue of ''Le chant de la Jérusalem des terres froides'') * 2002 ''Sacred Spaces'', Motets by Gabrieli and Monteverdi for choir and instruments * 2003 Giovanni Gabrieli, ''Puer Natus Est'' * 2004 Arvo Pärt: ''Stabat Mater (Pärt), Stabat Mater'' * 2006 Marc-Antoine Charpentier * 2007 ''Rise, O my soul'' * 2007 ''Roma Triumphans'' * 2009 Orlande de Lassus, ''Lagrime di San Pietro'' * 2011 ''Musica Vaticana'' (ACD22508) * 2014 ''Terra Tremuit'' (ACD22653) * 2017 Orlande de Lassus, ''Laudate Dominum'' (ACD22746)

Awards

* 1998 Juno Award - Nominated «Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance» for ''Palestrina, Missa «Ut, Ré, Mi, Fa, Sol, La» and other sacred works'' * 1999 Prix Félix - Won Disc of the Year for ''Heavenly Spheres''. * 2000 Juno Award - Nominated «Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance» for ''Heavenly Spheres''. * 2006 Prix Opus - Nominated Disc of the Year for ''Marc-Antoine Charpentier''. * 2007 Prix Opus - Nominated Disc of the Year for ''Rise, O my soul''. * 2008 Prix Opus - Won Concert of the Year for ''Jerusalem des terres froides''. * 2010 Prix Opus - Won Concert of the Year for ''Le Faste de la France''. * 2012 Prix Opus - Won Disc of the Year for ''Lagrime de San Pietro''. * 2015 Juno Award - Nominated «Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance» for ''Terra Tremuit''. * 2017 Prix Opus - Nominated Concert of the Year for ''Desires of the Soul''.

References

External links

Official Website of the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montreal Canadian choirs Félix Award winners Musical groups established in 1974 Musical groups from Montreal Early music choirs 1974 establishments in Quebec