PROGRAM

PROGRAM NOTES

WAVES THAT TRAVEL, SURROUND US, AND STIR US DEEPLY

What would our experience on Earth be like if we could not perceive the waves that surround us? Without light or sound, our perception of the world would be radically different. Since the dawn of humanity, we have gazed at the sky, scanned the horizon, and listened intently into the darkness, seeking to understand the signals that reach us.

Music is a form of vibrational energy that travels through space and time. Many composers have described inspiration as something that comes to them mysteriously, as though their musical ideas originated from a distant, elusive source. Some have even felt that they were not so much creating their works as capturing them and transcribing them onto the musical staff.

Composers have developed ways to capture these ideas, emotions, and frequencies, encoding them on paper. Performers then take on the task of deciphering these symbols and bringing the vibrations back to life through their instruments and voices, sometimes centuries later. What a fascinating mystery this transmission represents, from the depths of the imagination to the ears and hearts of the audience!

With Ondes lointaines (Distant Waves), Musica Orbium invites you to capture these vibrations from afar, on a journey that will take us from the vastness of the cosmos to the depths of human memory, and ultimately to the mysteries of eternity.

THE ARTISTS

FRANÇOIS LUKAWECKI, Conductor and Artistic Director

François Lukawecki is a Montréal-based conductor, award-winning composer, and educator. He is artistic director of Les Voix de la Rivière, co-director of the McGill University Chorus, and founder of the Canadian Experimental Choir. He holds bachelor’s degrees in music and education, as well as master’s degrees in education and choral conducting. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in choral conducting at McGill University under the mentorship of Dr. Jean-Sébastien Vallée.

François’s compositions have received numerous national and international distinctions. These include the Alliance chorale du Québec’s 2025 Prix pour composition récente, Choral Canada’s Stephen Chatman Award, the Phoenix Chamber Choir Composition Competition prize, and the 2023 Université de Sherbrooke Choral Composition Competition prize. He also received a second prize in composition at the 2024 International World’s Best Musicians Competition (UK), Gold and Platinum prizes at Poland’s World Grand Prix of Music, and its Distinguished Creativity Special Award. Most recently, his composition Cosmic Fireflies received an honourable mention in Choral Canada’s competition for the Diane Loomer Prize. François is published by Cypress Music Canada.

François first encountered Musica Orbium as a chorister under the direction of Patrick Wedd. He is honoured to return to the ensemble as its artistic director. Known for his passionate conducting, meticulous attention to detail, and imaginative programming, François looks forward to leading Musica Orbium in performances that bring together choral masterpieces, seldom-heard gems, and compelling works by Canadian composers.

Maxim Shatalkin, pianist

Maxim Shatalkin holds a master's degree and a doctorate in performance arts from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. A laureate of the Rostropovich Foundation Prize (2004), the International Rachmaninov Competition in St. Petersburg (2012), and the Vienna International Piano Competition (2013), he also won the Grand Prize at the Bulgarian International Music Competition (2012) and has served on the juries of several competitions. For over ten years, he taught at the renowned Gnessin School of Music in Moscow. With Olga Kudriakova, he founded and directed the Ars Nova School of Arts in Moscow and organized a summer music academy for young musicians in Pokrovsk, Yakutia.

Based in Montreal since 2022, Maxim is an exclusive artist with the Trio Fibonacci. He has collaborated with McGill University's Schulich School of Music and currently teaches at Vanier College's School of Music and the CAMMAC Music Centre. He has also worked as a guest pianist at the Orford Musique Academy. Maxim has given masterclasses at several leading North American institutions, including the Colburn School in Los Angeles, the Bob Cole Conservatory in Long Beach, Indiana University, the University of Michigan, and Mount Royal University in Calgary, as well as, most recently, in China.

Lison Brouard, harpist

Lison Brouard began studying the harp at the age of nine with Cécile Delage. In 2024, she joined the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, where she continues her studies with Valérie Milot. She has participated in masterclasses with Caroline Lizotte and Valérie Milot, in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

A three-time gold medalist at the Concours-Festival de musique de Sherbrooke, where she has participated four times, Lison has also received a gold medal at the Concours de la Capitale. Since 2022, she has taken part annually in Harp Day, continuing to develop her musicianship and deepen her connection with the harp.

Owen Spicer, organist

Owen Spicer is an organist and accompanist based in Montreal, Quebec. An Associate of the Royal Canadian College of Organists, he has received numerous awards and scholarships, including the Godfrey Hewitt Scholarship, the Paul Westermeyer Hymn Playing Award,

and the Donald and Helen Mackey Memorial Award. In 2024, he was awarded First Prize in the Osbourne Organ Competition, presented by the Summer Institute of Church Music.

Owen has held positions as Assistant Organist at Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa, Organist at Montreal West United Church, and Organ Scholar at Christ Church Cathedral in Montreal, First-St. Andrew’s United Church in London, Ontario, and St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, Ontario.

As a recitalist, Owen has performed at numerous venues across Quebec and Ontario, including Redpath Hall in Montreal, St. Andrew’s Church in Ottawa, and St. James Cathedral in Toronto. He has also performed with a variety of instrumental and choral ensembles across Canada, including the Caelis Ensemble in Ottawa and the Stratford Symphony Orchestra.

Owen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Organ Performance from McGill University, where he studied organ with Hans-Ola Ericsson and Jonathan Oldengarm, and choral conducting with Jean-Sébastien Vallée. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree at McGill University, studying with Isabelle Demers.

Dominique Pelletier, thereminist

Dominique Pelletier is a multidisciplinary artist, musician, researcher, sound designer, and educator based in Montreal, where she teaches translation at Concordia University. Moving between musical genres and sound experimentation, she combines the sounds of the theremin and retro video game consoles, such as the Nintendo Game Boy DMG, with synthesizers, modified electronic instruments, and organic sounds. Her music is a carefully crafted blend of improvised performance and programmed play.

Bancroft Elite Singers

The Bancroft Elite Singers are an advanced children's choir based at Bancroft Elementary School, part of the English Montreal School Board in Montreal. Under the direction of music teacher and artistic director François Lukawecki, the ensemble explores a rich and challenging repertoire, ranging from contemporary classical works to innovative choral compositions, including Miniwanka by Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer.

The choir has collaborated with several ensembles, including the Canadian Experimental Choir, Ensemble Vocal À ContreVoix, and the Sainte-Anne Singers. Its performances have earned recognition beyond the school community, notably through national distinctions in the CBC Music Class Challenge, highlighting the exceptional musical achievements of its young singers.