This June 12th at 8 PM, the Orchestre de l’Agora will host the third edition of the Gala de la Terre at Montreal’s La Maison Symphonique, dedicating all proceeds from the event to three local environmental organizations in support of their efforts to protect our planet.
Every penny from ticket sales will be donated to these beneficiaries, making it an event not only of musical excellence but also of profound impact.
Supporting Environmental Causes
The concert’s profits will benefit three notable environmental organizations:
- GREMM (Groupe de recherche et d’éducation sur les mammifères marins): This organization is committed to scientific research on the whales of the St. Lawrence River and to education for the conservation and protection of marine environments. They also manage the marine mammal emergency hotline and call center.
- WWF Canada’s “Regenerate Canada”: This ambitious 10-year plan aims to halt biodiversity loss and combat climate change. The goals include restoring at least one million hectares of lost complex ecosystems, managing and protecting at least 100 million hectares of vital ecosystems, and reducing carbon emissions by 30 million tonnes.
- Sierra Club Canada: Focused on educating and defending the rights of nature, this organization’s project in Quebec highlights the voices advocating for the rights of rivers and includes efforts to protect endangered whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Featuring Local Talents
In addition to supporting environmental causes, the Gala de la Terre will showcase exceptional local artists:
- Natasha Kanapé Fontaine: An Innu poet known for promoting cultural reconciliation through her art, dialogue, and recognition of Indigenous peoples. She will recite her specially written poems for the event. Natasha is a laureate of the 2017 Droits et Libertés Prize and was named Chevalier de l’Ordre des arts et des lettres by the French Republic in 2021.
- Elisabeth St-Gelais: An Innu soprano committed to the reconciliation of Indigenous peoples in Canada. A graduate of McGill’s Schulich School of Music, she has won numerous awards, including the Wirth Vocal Prize and the Prix d’Europe, and was named Révélation Radio-Canada Classique for the 2023-2024 season. She will perform as the soloist in Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder.
- Nicolas Ellis: The Music Director of the Orchestre National de Bretagne and Principal Guest Conductor of Les Violons du Roy. He is also the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Orchestre de l’Agora, which he founded in Montreal in 2013. Nicolas will conduct the 175 artists on stage on June 12th.
The evening will begin with a creation by composer Claudie Bertounesque which will combine the orchestra, 75 choristers from the Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal, electro-acoustics as well as beluga songs collected near Tadoussac using the hydrophones of the Research Group and education on marine mammals (GREMM).
Innu poet and event ambassador Natasha Kanapé Fontaine will also recite her own poems specially written for the Earth Gala.
The Orchestra will welcome Innu soprano Elisabeth St-Gelais, recently named Radio-Canada Classical Revelation and winner of the prestigious 2023 European Prize, in Wagner’s magnificent Wesendonck Lieder .
More than 100 musicians will be on stage for Strauss’ Alpine Symphony, an iconic work that evokes the beauty of nature and the Alps while addressing universal themes related to the cycle of life and the beauty and fragility of our planet.
This unique event promises not only to be a night of beautiful music but also a significant contribution to environmental conservation efforts.
Don’t Miss Out!
Date: June 12th, 2024
Time: 8 PM
Venue: Maison Symphonique of Montreal , Place des Arts
Join us for an evening where art meets activism, and help support the crucial work of these environmental organizations
Mark your Calendars:
The Agora Orchestra is delighted to announce its upcoming concert: the Earth Gala for Children, taking place at the Maison symphonique on June 22 at 8 PM!
This event aims to create a better world for our children by supporting UNICEF Canada, as well as environmental organizations Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Sierra Club Canada Foundation.
The program features Gustav Mahler’s sumptuous Symphony No. 3, bringing together over 200 musicians and choristers (including Ensemble Gaïa and three children’s choirs) along with the brilliant Canadian contralto, Marie-Nicole Lemieux.
Conductor Nicolas Ellis will lead the concert, inviting musicians from all over Quebec to join the Agora Orchestra in supporting these three causes.
The Gala’s ambassadors are model and photographer Pascale Bourbeau and explorer Bernard Voyer.
Don’t miss this grand and unifying event promoting ecological and humanitarian values, presented by Canimex in partnership with Age of Union.
More Info and Tickets: https://am.ticketmaster.com/pda/fr-ca/virtual-venue/P2S0622