Olympic Symphony – School Matinees
Recommended for Cycle 3 elementary students and Secondary I, II, and III students
Presented in French
Every two years, millions of people are inspired by the incredible feats of Olympic athletes. This concert invites audiences, young and old, to experience the stirring emotion of national anthems and the deep connection between rhythm and breath. Throughout history, music and sport have gone hand in hand—join us as we celebrate their enduring bond in spectacular fashion! A unique opportunity to mark the 50th anniversary of the Montreal Olympic Games and to celebrate the connection between music and sport!
Artists
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal
Adam Johnson, conductor
Christopher James, flute
Louis-François Grenier, stage director and writer
Martin Gougeon, assistant stage director
Emma Bao Linh, actor
Maxime de Munck, comédien
Gabriel Proulx-Dumay, comédien
Program
Vangelis, Chariots of Fire
John Williams, Olympic Fanfare and Theme
John Weinzweig, Divertimento no. 1 for Solo Flute and String Orchestra: I. Fast and playful
Calixa Lavallée, Ô Canada (excerpt)
Maxime Goulet, Hymnes unis
Antonín Dvořák, Symphony no. 9, op.95, B.178, “From the New World”: IV. Allegro con fuoco (excerpt)
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony no. 9 (excerpts)
Gioachino Rossini, Guillaume Tell: Overture (excerpt)
Presented without intermission
Adam Johnson
ConductorWorking at the highest levels of the Canadian music scene, award-winning conductor Adam Johnson has been hailed as “an exciting talent” and for his “charismatic and commanding presence” on the podium. He is Music Director of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and the Guelph Symphony Orchestra. He completed his tenure as resident conductor of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) in 2019, and has conducted over 90 concerts with the OSM. He recorded his first full album, Riopelle Symphonique, with the OSM in 2022 and won an Opus Prize with the famed orchestra in 2018. Prior to his tenure in Montreal, Dr. Johnson worked for three seasons with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and continues to regularly guest conduct orchestras across Canada. Internationally, Adam Johnson has conducted at the Opéra National de Paris and has led orchestras in Spain, Germany and the United States.
Known for his extraordinary versatility, Dr. Johnson has conducted sold-out concerts with dozens of leading artists in a wide range of styles from pop to jazz to Broadway. He is also regularly invited to studio record with orchestras for major international projects and has recorded for virtual reality. He was the Mécénat Musica Educator-in-Residence from 2019-2023, creating educational materials for music educators and offering workshops and performances to increase the quantity and quality of music education for youth. A recipient of a Canada Council conducting award, he holds a doctorate in piano performance from the Université de Montréal and a prize in orchestral conducting from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal.