| LAUNCHING THE 2023 MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE FESTIVITIES WITH RIOPELLE SYMPHONIQUE |
| A musical creation by Serge Fiori and Blair Thomson inspired by the world of the great painter Jean Paul Riopelle will be performed by the OSM on February 16, 17 and 18, 2023, at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier in Place des Arts, kicking off the festival. The concert will be presented as part of the official program for the centenary celebrations spearheaded by the Jean Paul Riopelle Foundation |
| The first segment of the Riopelle Symphonic Experience, presented as part of the Jean Paul Riopelle centenary celebrations, is a multimedia show that invites the public to plunge into the heart of the artist’s work, to the rhythms of a musical creation by Serge Fiori and Blair Thomson, performed by the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, conducted by Adam Johnson, and Les Petits Chanteurs de Laval, a youth choir. Combining projections and bold scenography, the five-act show evokes the major periods of the artist’s life and his successful career spanning seven decades. The emblematic wild goose—a tireless migratory bird and a symbol of freedom—guides the public through the real and imaginary places frequented by Riopelle, as a privileged observer of his creative endeavours and his inexhaustible ability to reinvent himself. Gabriel Poirier-Galarneau is the stage director and designer, under the artistic direction of Nicolas Lemieux. Costume design was entrusted to renowned designer Marie Saint Pierre. |