Spectacular Nature! Free Grand Concert at the Esplanade of the Olympic Park

Rafael Payare’s prodigious musicianship, technical brilliance and charismatic presence on the podium have made him one of the world’s most sought-after conductors. A graduate of the celebrated El Sistema music education program in Venezuela, Mr. Payare began his formal conducting studies in 2004 with José Antonio Abreu. Since winning the prestigious Malko International Competition for Young Conductors in Denmark in 2012, Maestro Payare’s career has advanced rapidly. Since 2015, he has served as Principal Conductor of the Castleton Festival, founded by his mentor the late Lorin Maazel. He was Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Ulster Orchestra from 2014 to 2019 and in 2019, took up the position of Music Director of the San Diego Symphony. In recent years, Rafael Payare has conducted many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including those of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Zurich, Berlin, Vienna, London, Munich, Chicago and Paris. He has also made important opera debuts at the Glyndebourne Festival, Stockholm’s Royal Swedish Opera, the Royal Danish Opera, and most recently at London’s Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. In the 2022-2023 season, Payare became the ninth Music Director in the history of the OSM.

To consult:
rafaelpayare.com
Long biography

Godwin Friesen is a pianist and composer from the Canadian Prairies, exuberantly discovering where a life in music can take him. Winning the 2022 Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal Competition has led to several collaborations with the orchestra in his current hometown of Montreal. First prize in the 2023 Trondheim International Competition with the Rilian Trio (Daniel Dastoor and David Liam Roberts) has opened doors to professional engagements in Europe and across Canada. Godwin’s musical formation began with singing and playing in the Friesen Family Band. An early piano teacher, Sheila Wright, introduced him to composing; his new compositions inspired by the Psalms have become an important element of his performances, including in his recent duo tours organized by Prairie Debut. After five formative years learning from pianist Bonnie Nicholson in Saskatoon, he studied with John O’Conor at the Glenn Gould School in Toronto and then with Henry Kramer and Jean Saulnier at l’Université de Montréal, where he finished a master’s in 2024.

No challenge is too great for this multitalented man, a graduate of the École Nationale de Théâtre in 1989, who shines equally in acting, directing, hosting, and comedy.

A standout contributor to the shows 100 Limite and Bons baisers de France, André Robitaille is also a formidable host, captivating both young audiences (Vazimolo) and adults alike with shows such as Les mordus, Les forges du désert, C’est juste de la TV (2007–2013), Testé sur des humains, Entrée principale, Bien Bâti, not to mention Les Enfants de la TV (since fall 2014) and La revue culturelle (since 2016). In recent years, he has also hosted several documentaries: Jean-Pierre Ferland, La vie devant moi, Janine Sutto, Dominique Michel, Béatrice Picard, Antonine Maillet, Patsy Gallant, and Ginette Reno.

A sharp and dynamic master of ceremonies, he has led numerous game shows and hosted the Gémeaux Awards gala in 2007. As an actor, he has stood out in youth series such as Les intrépides and Tactik, as well as in dramas like Bombardier, Le retour, Rue L’Espérance, Hommes en quarantaine, 30 vies, and Fugueuse. He also appeared in the series Pour toi Flora and À cœur battant.

A regular on stage, he has made his mark in theatre, participating in over twenty major productions as an actor and directing several comedies. He has also played leading roles in films such as The Age of Ignorance by Denys Arcand and Bon Cop, Bad Cop by Érik Canuel, and appeared in Roméo et Juliette, Monsieur Lazhar, and L’enfant prodige.

His natural ease as a host also led him to radio, where he hosted Les midis fous and Y’é trop d’bonne heure on CKOI in the 1990s, followed by Tout l’monde debout! on Rock Détente from 2005 to 2007.

His excellence as a host has earned him five MetroStar Awards and eight Gémeaux Awards over the years.