Tous en chœur! ^{Summer 2025}

Simon Rivard is the Music Director of the Edmonton Opera. This upcoming season, he will collaborate with Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Orchestre symphonique de Québec, and Opéra de Montréal (Puccini’s La bohème), among others. At the Edmonton Opera, he will be conducting Strauss’ Die Fledermaus and Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle.

Rivard has conducted orchestras such as Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Orchestre Métropolitain, Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Toronto Summer Music Festival Orchestra, Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra (Switzerland), and the Göteborgs Symfoniker (Sweden). From 2018 to 2022, he was the Resident Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, where he was mentored by Gustavo Gimeno and Sir Andrew Davis. From 2018 through 2024, he was the Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Born in Montréal, Rivard studied orchestral conducting at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and McGill University.

Pianist Amélie has carved out a unique place for herself on today’s Quebec music scene. As a classical musician, she has never hesitated to extend her roots to other horizons and has thus been able to work alongside many different artists and reach many different audiences. A native of Lac-St-Jean, she holds a master’s degree in performance from the Université de Montréal (studying with Paul Stewart) and perfected her skills in a number of recognized masterclasses. Amélie Fortin regularly performs on numerous stages in Quebec and Canada, as well as internationally.

The holder of numerous awards, she stands out for her unparalleled versatility, lending her talents to a wide range of musical formations and styles, from classical to contemporary and popular music. As a composer, she worked with many artists before devoting herself to the creation of her first solo piano album, Aqualudes, released in 2024.

In 2005, with her colleague Marie-Christine Poirier, she founded the Duo Fortin-Poirier, a four-hand piano ensemble renowned for its innovative approach and its contribution to the new music repertoire through commissioned works. She has also been a collaborator of singer Pierre Lapointe since 2018, in addition to having served as pianist for Angèle Dubeau and La Pietà during more than a decade.

Amélie Fortin is a fervent advocate of productive collaborations, spreading classical music far beyond the realms of convention. She is often at the heart of projects that reflect her own personality, combining human connection, openness, dynamism and creativity.