The Leningrad Symphony - Orchestre Métropolitain

Dates and Locations Date Location Choose

Friday
November 17th
7:30 PM

Maison de la Culture Ahuntsic (Salle Marguerite-Bourgeoys)

Past

Symphonic personalities

Passionate

Program

Halvorsen

Violin Concerto

I. Moderato assai quasi una fantasia

II. Andante sostenuto

III. Allegro moderato

Intermission: 22 minutes
Chostakovich

Symphony No. 7, “Leningrad”

I. Allegretto

II. Moderato (poco allegretto)

III. Adagio

IV. Allegro non troppo

Media

Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes a passionate and exacting dive into Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7 to make the piece shine. Written during World War II, the Leningrad symphony instantly became a symbol of hope and solidarity. Nearly a century later, it’s still disquietingly topical.

One of the world’s most renowned soloists, Maria Dueñas performs a jewel from the repertoire that was thought to be lost forever: Halvorsen’s Violin Concerto. The Norwegian composer’s piece was found a few years ago at the University of Toronto.

Pre-concert Experience

Works

Halvorsen

1864 – 1935

Violin Concerto

When it comes to classical music, Norway has two national treasures: Edvard Grieg and Johan Halvorsen. Before making a name for himself as a composer, Halvorsen was a brilliant violin soloist. He toured Europe—from Russia to Scotland, Germany, Sweden and Belgium—earning a strong reputation before returning to his home country to be the conductor of the National Theatre in Kristiania, now known as Oslo. It was no surprise that Halvorsen had a natural inclination for his preferred instrument. Premiered on August 14, 1909, about 15 years before his first symphony, Halvorsen’s Violin Concerto, Op. 28, is a rare example of the composer’s early symphonic style. (Although Halvorsen was no longer young at the age of 45, the work is still considered to be an early work because he had only been composing for a few years.) Opus 28 is even more rare because it has only been performed four times in history. The Canadian violinist Kathleen Parlow performed the work, first in The Hague and Utrecht, in the Netherlands, then with the Berlin Philharmonic and in Oslo in 1909. While its official premiere in Norway, conducted by the composer, was well-liked by audiences, it was not as well received by Dutch critics. They criticized Halvorsen for defying convention and not following the sonata form in the first movement (three-part structure with an exposition, development and recapitulation). When Halvorsen retired in 1929, at the age of 65, he ordered the burning of a number of his manuscripts, including the Violin Concerto. As a result, the piece was believed to have been lost for decades, until it was miraculously rediscovered on the other side of the Atlantic, in the University of Toronto archives. It is believed that Ms. Parlow had defied the composer’s wishes and secretly kept a copy of the score, bringing it with her when she returned to Canada. As a result, Opus 28 was re-premiered in 2016 by Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud, more than 100 years after its last performance. While the original violin sheet music has never been found, a letter from Halvorsen dated November 12, 1908, gives precious instructions for the concerto.

©Justin Bernard

Chostakovich

1906 – 1975

Symphony No. 7, “Leningrad”

The symphony of hope

Chostakovich’s symphonic work was at its apex during a tragic time in European history. Between Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 and the end of World War II in 1945, the Russian composer wrote no less than six symphonies despite particularly difficult circumstances. Not only did the composer contend with the external pressures of advances from the German army, but he was also grappling with government censorship within the Soviet Union. In many ways, Symphony No. 7 was at once a refuge from the suffering of war and dictatorship, and an act of resistance. “While composing this symphony, I thought about our people’s nobility, heroism, marvellous humanist ideas, human values, our splendid nature, humankind, beauty … I dedicate my Seventh Symphony to our struggle against fascism, to our coming victory over the enemy, to my native city, Leningrad.” - Dmitri Chostakovich The world premiere was held in Kuybyshev in March 1942, performed by the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, a few months after Shostakovich, his family and thousands of other citizens had to evacuate Leningrad because the city was under siege by Nazi forces. Performances followed in many other cities, with the most notable on August 9, in Leningrad. The city was still under siege and surviving members of the Leningrad Radio Orchestra were starving, as was the audience. They had lost many colleagues since the beginning of the siege—they set up empty chairs in the orchestra in their honour—and had to recruit extras among Russian soldiers. For them, and the city, the concert was of utmost importance. Shostakovich’s music became a psychological weapon. Not only did it boost the morale of Soviet troops and citizens of Leningrad, but it also undermined that of the German soldiers. The concert was broadcast from speakers pointing in the direction of enemy forces, making it one of the most significant artistic performances of World War II. The Leningrad Symphony soon toured the world. Microfilms were sent to the West via truck and boat. After its London premiere, a number of American orchestras vied for the privilege of holding the US premiere. In the end, it took place in New York City on June 19, 1942. The next day, Shostakovich was on the front page of the famous magazine Time. War and peace in music The Leningrad Symphony starts with an energetic and rigorous theme—a march akin to a foreign invasion. Little by little, the music takes a somber turn and begins to sound like a funeral march. The second movement is a sweet lyrical interlude and a break from the drama. The war-like ambiance gradually returns in the third movement, but in the words of musicologist André Lishké, the invading forces are now facing the people in battle. The triumphant last movement is a call to victory and open defiance of the enemy, even though the central section maintains its sombre quality. “The majority of my symphonies are tombstones. Too many of our people died and were buried in places unknown to anyone, not even their relatives. It happened to many of my friends. Where do you put the tombstones for Meyerhold or Tukhachevsky? Only music can do that for them.” - Dmitri Chostakovich

©Justin Bernard

Conductor & Soloists

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Conductor

Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Orchestre Métropolitain since 2000, to which he committed himself “for life” in 2019, Yannick Nézet-Séguin became, in September 2018, the third Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera (Met) in New York. Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 2012, he became its Artistic and Music Director in 2023 and renewed his contract until 2030. He is Honorary Conductor of the Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest, where he was Music Director from 2008 to 2018, and is also an Honorary Member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

Yannick works with several prestigious orchestras and maintains a more special relationship with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics Orchestras, the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, where he was principal guest conductor from 2008 to 2014. He has participated several times in the BBC Proms as well as in many festivals in Europe including those of Edinburgh, Lucerne, Salzburg and Grafenegg (Vienna). He was chosen to conduct the prestigious Vienna New Year’s Concert 2026. In North America, he regularly participates in the Lanaudière, Vail and Saratoga festivals as well as the Domaine Forget (Charlevoix). With the Philadelphia Orchestra and with the musicians of the MET Orchestra, he performs regularly at Carnegie Hall where he was an “Artist in Perspective” in 2019-2020. He also gives master classes, notably in two of the most renowned institutions, the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and the Julliard School in New York. In Quebec, he directs an academy for young conductors linked to the Orchestre Métropolitain, in close collaboration with the Académie internationale du Domaine Forget.

He continues a long-term collaboration with the Festival La Capitale d’été in Baden Baden, where he conducts several orchestras in turn, including the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, thus giving rise to numerous concerts and opera recordings, notably the complete Beethoven symphonies and the Brahms cycle. He regularly conducts several orchestras during American, Asian or European tours. In November 2017, he conducted the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal on its very first European tour, which was a huge success, and will repeat the experience in June 2025, taking them to Brussels (Bozar), Paris (Philharmonie), Vienna (Wiener Konzerthaus), Hamburg (Elbphilharmonie) and Baden Baden (Festspielhaus). In the meantime, he has completed two very successful North American tours with the OM, taking them to Carnegie Hall, among others. A remarkable opera conductor, he is acclaimed in the most renowned houses and venues. He has also contributed to the production of two films as a conducting consultant: Maestro (2022), an American film by Bradley Cooper recounting the life of Leonard Bernstein, and Les Jours heureux (2023), a Quebec film by Chloé Robichaud dealing with the difficulties of a young conductor. Yannick records exclusively for Deutsche Grammophon, while continuing his role in OM’s collaboration with ATMA Classique.

His honours include five Grammy Awards: Best Orchestral Performance for his performance of Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3 with the Philadelphia Orchestra (2023); Best Opera Recording for Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones (2023) and Champion (2024), both at the MET; Best Classical Solo Vocal Album with renowned soprano Renée Flemming for Voice of Nature – Anthropocene (2023); and most recently, Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media for Maestro, with the London Symphony Orchestra (2025). Yannick Nézet-Séguin also holds eight honorary doctorates (Université du Québec à Montréal, 2011; Curtis Institute of Philadelphia, 2014; Rider University of Princeton, 2015; McGill University (Montreal), 2017; Université de Montréal, 2017; University of Pennsylvania, 2018; Université Laval, 2021; Drexel University in Philadelphia, 2023); he is also a Companion of the Order of Canada (2012), Companion of Arts and Letters of Quebec (2015), Officer of the National Order of Quebec (2015), Officer of the Order of Montreal (2017), Honorary Member of the Royal Conservatory of Music (2020) and Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic (2021).

María Dueñas

Violin

Spanish violinist María Dueñas has emerged as a singular voice in the international classical music scene, captivating audiences with her extraordinary palette of tonal colors, impeccable technical command, and performances that fuse artistic maturity with fearless expressivity.

The New York Times has praised her ability to breathe “new life into familiar works,” describing her as a “22‑year‑old violinist with something to say—and the ability to say it brilliantly.”

Her meteoric rise led to an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon, marked by the release of her debut album Beethoven and Beyond in 2023. Her interpretation of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, featuring cadenzas of her own composition and recorded with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under Manfred Honeck, earned her the Opus Klassik Award for Young Artist of the Year (2024). This achievement followed an extraordinary series of international prizes, including First Prize at the Yehudi Menuhin Competition, the Zhuhai International Mozart Competition, and the Vladimir Spivakov Competition, among others. Her distinctive artistic voice has also been recognized through her selection as a BBC New Generation Artist, as well as awards such as the Princess of Girona Award for Arts and Letters and the Gold Medal for Merit of the City of Granada.

In February 2025, Dueñas released her second album with Deutsche Grammophon—an ambitious project centered on Paganini’s 24 Caprices, alongside works inspired by Paganini from Berlioz to contemporary composers. The recording was met with wide critical acclaim, earning the Instrumental Award at the Gramophone Classical Music Awards and the title of Young Artist of the Year, with critics praising her playing as “luminously radiant and golden‑toned.”

María Dueñas has collaborated with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin and Dresden, Oslo Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Munich Philharmonic, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Bamberg Symphony, Vienna Symphony, Swedish Radio Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Danish National Symphony, Dresdner Philharmonie, and the Orchestre de Paris. She has worked under the direction of distinguished conductors such as Yannick Nézet‑Séguin, Herbert Blomstedt, Christian Thielemann, Marin Alsop, Christoph Eschenbach, Manfred Honeck, Paavo Järvi, Andris Nelsons, Kent Nagano, Marek Janowski, Daniel Harding, Alain Altinoglu, Cristian Măcelaru, Vasily Petrenko, Andrés Orozco‑Estrada, Santtu‑Matias Rouvali, Vladimir Spivakov, Charles Dutoit, Michael Sanderling, Aziz Shokhakimov, Gustavo Gimeno, and Jukka‑Pekka Saraste, among many others.

Her longstanding collaboration with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel has yielded significant milestones, including the world premiere of Gabriela Ortiz’s Violin Concerto Altar de Cuerda, first performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, followed by tours to Barcelona, Paris, and London, and sold‑out performances at Carnegie Hall and in Boston. The recording of this concerto appears on the album Revolución diamantina, which won three GRAMMY Awards in 2025.

A versatile artist with a deep commitment to composition, Dueñas’s creative output includes Homage 1770, a solo violin work inspired by Beethoven’s legacy; Farewell, a work for solo piano; and original cadenzas for much of the violin concerto repertoire. In August 2024, she premiered Julian Lawrence Gargiulo’s Sonata No. 4, “From the Window,” for Deutsche Grammophon, further affirming her dedication to contemporary music. In chamber music, she has forged notable collaborations with artists such as Matthias Goerne, Itamar Golan, and Renaud Capuçon.

Her unique synthesis of classical tradition and contemporary innovation led her to portray the violinist Kathleen Parlow in Sofia Bohdanowicz’s film Measures for a Funeral, bringing renewed attention to Johan Halvorsen’s long‑lost Violin Concerto, Op. 28, which she performed with the Orchestre Métropolitain under Yannick Nézet‑Séguin.

Highlights of the 2025–26 season include her debut with the Vienna Philharmonic under Karina Canellakis, her appearance at the Nobel Prize Concert with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Semyon Bychkov, and her New York Philharmonic debut under Manfred Honeck. She will also participate in the 90th‑birthday celebrations of Maestro Zubin Mehta, performing with the West‑Eastern Divan Orchestra in Madrid and Barcelona in 2026.

María Dueñas performs on a 1779 Giambattista Guadagnini violin, on loan from the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, as well as the 1719 Stradivarius “Michelangelo”, generously loaned by the Karolina Blaberg Foundation.

Musicians

VIOLAS

Elvira Misbakhova, Principal

Pierre Tourville, Associate Principal

Brian Bacon, Associate Principal

Julie Dupras

Gérald Daigle

Jean René

Élisa Boudreau

Suzanne Careau

François Vallières (MS seulement / Sans Halvorsen)

Camille Mireault-Lalancette (MS seulement / Sans Halvorsen)

CELLOS

Christopher Best, Principal

Julien Siino, Associate Principal

Agnès Langlois, Associate Principal

Thérèse Ryan

Vincent Bergeron

Sheila Hannigan

Carla Antoun

Christine Giguère (MS seulement / Sans Halvorsen)

DOUBLE BASSES

René Gosselin, Principal

Marc Denis, Associate Principal

Gilbert Fleury, Associate Principal

Réal Montminy

Catherine Lefebvre

Yannick Chênevert (MS seulement / Sans Halvorsen)

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