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The Festival's unwavering effort to share the secret beauty of chamber music and broaden the horizon of audiences is the guiding light behind this exciting new series. Firm in our conviction that excellence is appreciated by audiences of all kinds, the McAuslan Sala Rossa Bar Series will bring together the brightest lights in classical, rock and indie style in an eclectic mix of innovation and discovery. The heritage site location of La Sala Rossa and its intimate old world feel will contribute to making this a mind-expanding series.

Courtney Wing invites his listeners into a compelling world of carefree and unpretentious humanity. Adept instrumentation and a strong and resonant vocal style backed by a 15-piece ‘operatic folk’ ensemble characterizes Wing’s current work. This super group consists of members from Belle Orchestre and Godspeed! You Black Emperor as well as a 10-piece opera collective called Liederwolfe. Together, this dynamic group contributes to Wing’s compositions with symphonic textures so rich they melt even the most bitter-struck hearts.

Torngat is an instrumental trio made up of primarily drums, keyboards and French horn, although it is the multi-instrumentalism of all three players that really give Torngat that spark of something special. Julien Poissant is the band’s drummer but also plays a variety of instruments on the album; in a live setting he can be found simultaneously playing extra keys with the left hand, bass drum with the right foot, high hat with the left foot and trumpet with the right hand. Wurlitzer and analog synth are Mathieu Charboneau’s primary tools, but he is also known to juggle duties with xylophones, percussion, trumpet, melodicas additional keyboards and live electronic effects. French horn player Pietro Amato seasoned his chops performing with Bell Orchestre and has toured and recorded with Arcade Fire. Amato also contributes a host of other acoustic and electronic instrumentation as well as some vocals to the album.

Three years after giving birth to a first full length self-title album, which was well received from the public and acclaimed from the critics, Philippe B has emerged from his creative hibernation and is presenting Taxidermie, a second album highly expected.

With this new addition, the musician brings an upfront hybrid pop in which acoustic and electric sounds are playfully orchestrated through guitar, piano, violin, drums and samples. With poetic lyrics reminiscing themes like earth and moon, the B captures characters, places and moments and holds them in a melodic sound going from intimate folk to straight, classic pop.

As a solo performer and a guitar player, the musician performes on a regular basis on many stages in Quebec, notably as part of the Francofolies de Montréal and the Festival de musique émergente d’Abitibi Témiscamingue.

La Sala Rossa,
4848 St. Laurent,
at 9 pm.

May 1^st
Mark Djokic & Anne Julie Caron

May 2^nd
Roddick String Quartet

May 3^rd
Vladimir Sidorov