Benoit Aquin
By Katarina Soukup
Kent Nagano and Charlie Arngak (Photo by Robert Fréchette)
September 11-15, 2008 Inukjuak, Kangiqsujuq, Kuujjuaq
In Spring 2007, Avataq Cultural Institute and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal began discussions around a Nunavik Tour. It is the express wish of musical director Maestro Kent Nagano to bring the music of the OSM to several remote Inuit communities in Nunavik as part of its touring activities. The OSM initiated its ambitious worldwide touring project with a coast-to-coast Canadian tour in April 2007, beginning in Yellowknife, then continuing on to Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Kitchener, Ottawa, Québec City and ending in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
The OSM Nunavik Tour is a very special cross-cultural encounter representing the first time ever that an orchestra of the international calibre of the OSM will visit Arctic Quebec, bringing a world-renowned artistic performance of a venerable music tradition to a place of ancient and proud heritage.
Lead by internationally renowned Maestro Kent Nagano, seven musicians from the OSM along with two Inuit throatsingers and an Inuit actor will perform a program of music from the classical repertoire and a new work inspired by Inuit culture from Canadian composer Alexina Louie. They will also participate in educational activities within each community.
Nunavik is the northernmost region of Québec. The region is inhabited by approximately 10,000 people - the great majority of which are Inuit - spread out in fifteen coastal communities. The OSM Nunavik Tour takes place September 11-15, 2008, and will stop in Inukjuak (population 1600), Kangiqsujuaq (population 600) and Kuujjuaq (population 2100). These are extremely remote fly-in communities- meaning no roads lead to them and they are accessible by airplane only (or boat in the summer months). The closest community, Kuujjuaq, is 1400 km from Montreal, and the furthest, Kangiqsujuaq, is 1800 km away!
Avataq and Maestro Nagano strongly believe the exchange between the OSM musicians and the Inuit communities will lead to a better understanding of both Inuit culture and Western classical music, and will ultimately benefit both cultures.
Subscribe to the mailing list to keep up to date on all the tour details to be released in the coming months by going to: http://nunavik.osm.ca/en
Watch the tour website for an on-line travel journal of the tour coming in September 2008!
