< /p> UPDATE DAY

There is the Symphony Orchestra. There is the Violons du Roy. There is also a small independent orchestra which brings together some forty amateur and professional musicians and which will celebrate its 60th anniversary on June 4.

The Sinfonia de Québec was founded in April 1963 Under the direction of Irénée Lemieux, it consisted, at the time, of five musicians.

The private ensemble has been directed, since 2012, by cellist Daniel Finzi, who studied at the Laval University School of Music.

“I had participated in a few concerts of the Sinfonia and I was approached in 2011, following the departure of Béatrice Cardin, for the musical direction. I had interviews and auditions and I was accepted,” he said in an interview.

The Sinfonia de Québec is made up of amateur musicians and students of music of all levels. They are grouped into five sections, each led by a professional musician. The ensemble rehearses once a week at the Center communautaire Noël-Brulart and presents two to three concerts a year.

“We are the only string orchestra in Quebec. It's an ensemble that has passed through several generations,” noted Daniel Finzi.

On June 4, at 2:30 p.m., the ensemble will mark its 60th anniversary at the Palais Montcalm with the work Jour de fête, written by conductor Irénée Lemieux, the Gloria, by Vivaldi, and the composition Fantaisie for quintet and string orchestra, by Daniel Finzi. A work in four movements of 30 minutes that he wrote in three months last summer.

“There are my original sounds from Argentina with folklore and tango, baroque influences from Vivaldi, in order to make a link with the second part of the program and popular sounds. It's a mixture of all that,” he described.

Professional musicians Mary- Ann Corbeil (first violin), Christelle Cotnam (second violin), Alexanne Trudelle-Caron (viola), Siegfried Cavallini (cello) and François Morin (double bass) will be featured as soloists in this work which will be performed for the first time in public.

“The orchestra and the soloists have worked hard and I am really happy with what I hear during the rehearsals. Musicians, who come from all walks of life, love it; and it is a sign that the public will also appreciate. I am very confident that it will go well. It's exciting,” said Daniel Finzi.

For Vivaldi's Gloria, the Sinfonia will be enhanced by the presence of soprano Catherine-Élisabeth Loiselle, mezzo- soprano Élizabeth Veilleux, harpsichordist Richard Paré, trumpeter Frédéric Quinet and the vocal ensemble Baroquo Negro.

After somewhat more difficult years, the Sinfonia de Québec, for ten years, is in good health financial. It even manages to generate small surpluses which allow it, this year, to celebrate its 60th anniversary at the Palais Montcalm, where the ensemble had already performed for its 35th anniversary in 1998. 

“To perform there is, for us, an achievement in itself. It's something,” he said.

< /p> UPDATE DAY

There is the Symphony Orchestra. There is the Violons du Roy. There is also a small independent orchestra which brings together some forty amateur and professional musicians and which will celebrate its 60th anniversary on June 4.

The Sinfonia de Québec was founded in April 1963 Under the direction of Irénée Lemieux, it consisted, at the time, of five musicians.

The private ensemble has been directed, since 2012, by cellist Daniel Finzi, who studied at the Laval University School of Music.

“I had participated in a few concerts of the Sinfonia and I was approached in 2011, following the departure of Béatrice Cardin, for the musical direction. I had interviews and auditions and I was accepted,” he said in an interview.

The Sinfonia de Québec is made up of amateur musicians and students of music of all levels. They are grouped into five sections, each led by a professional musician. The ensemble rehearses once a week at the Center communautaire Noël-Brulart and presents two to three concerts a year.

“We are the only string orchestra in Quebec. It's an ensemble that has passed through several generations,” noted Daniel Finzi.

On June 4, at 2:30 p.m., the ensemble will mark its 60th anniversary at the Palais Montcalm with the work Jour de fête, written by conductor Irénée Lemieux, the Gloria, by Vivaldi, and the composition Fantaisie for quintet and string orchestra, by Daniel Finzi. A work in four movements of 30 minutes that he wrote in three months last summer.

“There are my original sounds from Argentina with folklore and tango, baroque influences from Vivaldi, in order to make a link with the second part of the program and popular sounds. It's a mixture of all that,” he described.

Professional musicians Mary- Ann Corbeil (first violin), Christelle Cotnam (second violin), Alexanne Trudelle-Caron (viola), Siegfried Cavallini (cello) and François Morin (double bass) will be featured as soloists in this work which will be performed for the first time in public.

“The orchestra and the soloists have worked hard and I am really happy with what I hear during the rehearsals. Musicians, who come from all walks of life, love it; and it is a sign that the public will also appreciate. I am very confident that it will go well. It's exciting,” said Daniel Finzi.

For Vivaldi's Gloria, the Sinfonia will be enhanced by the presence of soprano Catherine-Élisabeth Loiselle, mezzo- soprano Élizabeth Veilleux, harpsichordist Richard Paré, trumpeter Frédéric Quinet and the vocal ensemble Baroquo Negro.

After somewhat more difficult years, the Sinfonia de Québec, for ten years, is in good health financial. It even manages to generate small surpluses which allow it, this year, to celebrate its 60th anniversary at the Palais Montcalm, where the ensemble had already performed for its 35th anniversary in 1998. 

“To perform there is, for us, an achievement in itself. It's something,” he said.