“The Orchestre symphonique de Sherbrooke opens its 84th season with their new Maestro”
October 12, 2023 - Estrie Plus
On October 5, the Sherbrooke audience was reacquainted with the musicians of the Orchestre symphonique de Sherbrooke (OSS). For the opening concert of its 84th season, the OSS brought the sounds of Verdi, Liszt and Tchaikovsky to the Centre culturel de l'Université de Sherbrooke.
La force du destin!
This first concert in the Grands concerts BMO Classical Series, entitled La force du destin! presented by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, featured a musical program based on the theme of fate. In fact, the OSS's new conductor, Jean-Michel Malouf, wanted to “ask the crowd about their beliefs regarding the notion of destiny.” He even shared a personal story with the audience. “I had not believed in destiny before preparing for tonight's concert, but I'd like to share an anecdote of an uncanny coincidence with you. During my first conducting class in the late 1990s, I happened to study Verdi's La forza del destino with Maestro Stéphane Laforest”.
A successful premiere... despite two cancellations
The first concert of the OSS's 2023-2024 season was performed without concertmaster Élaine Marcil. According to a press release, Ms. Marcil “was forced to cancel her participation for health reasons,” and violinist Ryan Truby was brought in. Soloist André Laplante also had to cancel with 24 hours' notice due to illness. Pianist Serhiy Salov agreed to perform the Piano Concerto No. 2. It should be noted that Salov had not performed this work for ten years.
A “thunderous ovation” for Maestro Jean-Michel Malouf
The audience at Salle Maurice-O'Bready welcomed the new captain of the OSS with a “thunderous ovation”. The audience also applauded Maestro Malouf warmly during the final notes of Symphony No. 4. The audience was “seduced by this revival”.
" [...] Maestro Malouf is an excellent communicator; he has great emotional intelligence and a facility for connecting with people. It is truly unanimous among us, and I take the liberty of speaking for all of us when I say that this is the beginning of a very beautiful collaboration.”
- Annick Sévigny, Principal Flute of the OSS