Photo : Antoine Saito
The Orchestra
THE MUSICIANS
A veritable family in the service of music, the 94 musicians of the OSM combine individuality with an uncommon collective purpose…
RAFAEL PAYARE
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Internationally renowned conductor Rafael Payare will take on the role of Music Director of the OSM. Mr. Payare will become the 9th Music Director in the history of the Orchestra.
THE OSM CHORUS
A professional ensemble founded in the 1980s, the OSM Chorus, currently directed by Andrew Megill, performs the greatest works of the repertoire…
ANDREW MEGILL
CHORUS MASTER
Andrew Megill is acclaimed as one of the best choral conductors of his generation. He commands an exceptionally vast and diverse repertoire ranging from early to contemporary music…
VENUES AND INSTRUMENTS
MAISON SYMPHONIQUE
A true gem of acoustics and architectural design, the Maison symphonique opened its doors in 2011. It has a capacity of 2,000 seats…
OCTOBASSES
The octobass prototype was built by a certain Mr. Dubois in 1834, before the luthier Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (1798–1875) improved upon it in 1849…
GRAND ORGUE PIERRE-BÉIQUE
Built by the firm of Casavant Frères and owned by the OSM, the Grand Orgue Pierre-Béique, a gift of Jacqueline Desmarais, is a colossal 6,489-pipe instrument…
ESPACE OSM
Open to the public in January 2019, Espace OSM provides visitors with a space in which they can soak up some of the Orchestra’s history through visual and sound experiences…
OSM History
The OSM’s excellence and vision have been fashioned over the years by its music directors: Montreal-born Wilfrid Pelletier, first Artistic Director; Zubin Mehta, with whom the OSM gave its first concerts in Europe; Charles Dutoit, whose collaboration with the Orchestra lasted close to 25 years; and, since September 2006, Ken Nagano, who inaugurated the Maison symphonique…
FOUNDING MEMBERS
ANTONIA NANTEL
A trained musician, Antonia Nantel devoted much of her life to developing Montreal’s music community, playing a key role in establishing the OSM and the Festivals de Montréal.
WILFRID PELLETIER
A gifted musician, internationally renowned conductor and eminent educator, throughout his life Wilfrid Pelletier was an advocate for the art of music. Among other institutions, he founded the OSM and the Conservatoire de musique et d’art dramatique du Québec.
ATHANASE DAVID
A lawyer, politician, and champion of the arts, Athanase David supported the founding of many leading institutions, including the OSM, the Musée national des Beaux-Arts du Québec, and the Archives nationales du Québec.
EMERITUS FIGURES
The title “Emeritus” is an honour conferred by the OSM’s Board of Directors on individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the Orchestra and deeply impacted its history.
WILFRID PELLETIER
The OSM’s very first Music Director in 1934, Wilfrid Pelletier built the Orchestra as a model of openness and accessibility.
PIERRE BÉIQUE
The OSM’s Director General between 1939 and 1970, Pierre Béique was a peerless ambassador and supporter of the Orchestra’s international fame and recognition.
ZUBIN MEHTA
Under Zubin Mehta, the OSM embarked on its first tour of Europe in 1962, included opera in its repertoire and established the OSM Competition.
OLIVIER LATRY
An exceptional performer and Organist of the Great Organ of Notre-Dame de Paris, Olivier Latry supervised the design and layout of the Grand Orgue Pierre-Béique.
KENT NAGANO
Music Director from 2006 to 2020, Kent Nagano established and strengthened the OSM’s community roots and modernized the Orchestra, notably inaugurating the Maison symphonique and the Grand Orgue Pierre-Béique.
ON TOUR
Since 1960, the OSM has completed 50 international tours, presenting close to 400 different concert programmes including 44 in Carnegie Hall. Flanked by internationally known soloists, the Orchestra has performed in the most prestigious concert venues in Europe, Japan, the USA and Latin America.
THE OSM AND NEW WORKS
From its very foundation, the OSM has supported creation in Canada and Quebec. The Orchestra performs and commissions works by the country’s own composers, also programming contemporary pieces from the international repertoire…
