Hometown: Montréal, Quebec
Founded in Montréal in 1981 by some of the finest music graduates from Québec conservatories and music faculties, the Orchestre Métropolitain now numbers about 60 professional musicians. From the very outset, the Orchestre Métropolitain adopted an approach that focused on broadening audiences for classical music. With a majority of its musicians born and trained in Québec, the Orchestre Métropolitain is a non-profit organization of international calibre dedicated to bringing classical music from here and abroad to the entire community of Metropolitan Montréal and its various cultural organizations. Since Yannick Nézet-Séguin became the Artistic Director, in 2000, the Orchestre Métropolitain’s reputation for passion and drive for excellence have continued to grow and expand – in Montréal, in Québec, in Canada and abroad. The Orchestre’s performances have earned numerous Opus and Félix awards (respectively from the Conseil québécois de la musique and ADISQ), as well as glowing reviews, the warm response of audiences and an ever-growing number of concert subscriptions.