BAL DES ENFANTS 2023

Posted by Olivier Bigras

Illustration : Caroline Hamel

PRESENTED BY

BAL DES ENFANTS

PRESENTED BY

A festive event for children aged 5 and older, along with their families, each year the Bal des enfants is held under a different theme.

This year, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and Music Director Rafael Payare invite you to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Orchestra’s Bal des enfants with a revisited version of a classic: Peter and the Wolf. Conceived as a true musical tale by its composer, Sergei Prokofiev, this performance allows you and your family to rediscover the instruments of the orchestra as personified as a cat, a bird, a duck, a wolf, a grandfather, hunters, and little Peter.

This one-hour theatrical concert introduces young people to symphonic music and theatre with an original adaptation of a work of children’s literature.

* This concert is presented in French only.

CONCERT AND FAMILY TICKETS

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THE STORY IN SHORT

Peter is a little boy who lives in the country with his grandfather. One day, he disobeys by going to play in the garden, watching a bird and a duck as they tease one another while a cat prowls around. Grandfather catches Peter disobeying and scolds: This is a dangerous place, and if a wolf came out of the forest, what would you do? Peter and his grandfather have just returned home when a grey wolf appears and swallows whole the duck who tries in vain to escape! Peter, observing the scene, decides to sneak out and capture the wolf. The bird, observing the situation, helps the boy by fluttering around the animal’s mouth, taking care not to end up being swallowed like the duck. Hunters who were already on the wolf’s trail approach the beast, but Peter explains that it would be pointless to shoot and invites them instead to form a procession to carry the wolf off to the zoo.

 

To learn more about Peter and the Wolf, consult the educational video featuring Adam Johnson, OSM Conductor-in-Residence (2016–2019) and Patrice Bélanger, OSM Youth Ambassador (2016–2020), by clicking on this link.

SCHEDULE

  • 9:30 a.m. Doors open—Reception and family activities in the foyers
  • 11:00 a.m. Theatrical concert conducted by Maestro Rafael Payare
  • After the concert : Snack and animations in the foyers
 

HOW ARE DONATIONS USED?

Accessibilité

Funds raised in connection with the Bal des enfants enable the OSM to continue developing its future audiences by providing an early introduction to classical music. These funds also allow the Orchestra to implement inclusive projects in the community for lowest-access groups; to encourage young local musicians; and to offer summer programming that is accessible to all.

Since the Bal des enfants’s was initiated 10 years ago, the OSM has been able to invest close to $2M in its education and accessibility programs, and to provide the opportunity of attending the Bal des enfants free of charge to more than 3,000 people from families sponsored by organizations devoted to children’s causes.

DEVELOPING FUTURE AUDIENCES

  • Each year, more than 15,000 young people aged 5 to 17 attend the Children’s Corner (family concerts) and School Matinee (concerts for schools) series;
  • 7 Opus Prizes awarded by the Conseil québécois de la musique in recognition of high-quality concerts
  • Affordable pricing (from $9 to $12 per schoolchild);
  • Classroom support for making classical music more accessible (pedagogical materials, turnkey digital concerts, educational resources, video clips, playlists).

COORDINATING INCLUSIVE PROJECTS IN THE COMMUNITY FOR LOWEST-ACCESS GROUPS

  • Some ten projects per year in collaboration with community organizations and special education programs;
  • Clientele among the most vulnerable groups (underserved and low-income neighbourhoods, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, refugee families, newcomers to Quebec, and other groups);

ENCOURAGING YOUNG LOCAL MUSICIANS

  • Involvement with emerging and nonprofessional artists from Quebec and Canada (training, masterclasses, support for amateur artists as part of our summer programming and other initiatives.);
  • Annual OSM Competition since 1940, the largest classical music competition in Canada: a high-level contest, mentorship and career-building support for laureates, prestigious international jury and partners.

OFFERING ACCESSIBLE SUMMER PROGRAMMING

  • Concerts in the parks of Greater Montreal and large-scale outdoor concerts on the Esplanade of the Olympic Park that drew more than 50,000 people in 2019 and 2020;
  • The Classical Spree festival, drawing tens of thousands of festival-goers for the past 9 years, with a grand opening concert on the Esplanade of the Olympic Park and three days of activities at Place des Arts, Quartier des Spectacles and Complexe Desjardins. The program includes: low-cost indoor concerts (starting at $10), music workshops for the little ones, free performances and activities for the whole family. More than 500 artists take part, including many young up-and-coming musicians.

RELIVE THE 2020 BAL DES ENFANTS