collectif9: Folk noir

Concert

String nonet collectif9 presents an unexpected programme in response to the theme of this year’s Orford Music Festival, introducing us to the music of a composer who, like Beethoven, has broken ground in her own time with boldness and ingenuity. Folk Noir is an escape into the creative mind of Montréal composer Nicole Lizée, revealing a surrealistic world where technological glitch and haunting harmonies are at the centre of a collision between tradition and pop culture.

Like her celebrated predecessor, Lizée has a particular affinity for motivic constructions and lush melodies; in a modern twist, the masterful pre-recorded soundtracks that accompany several pieces on the programme give a nod to her DJ experience and add layers of complexity. Between Lizée’s melodies, we discover the worlds of composers such as Vijay Iyer and Giovanni Sollima, remarkable for their ability to blend languages as diverse as jazz, traditional, improvised, and Western classical music. Folk Noir is full of both narrative imagery and stylistic references from here and elsewhere and promises an evening full of surprises.

Orford Music Academy students will participate in this production as part of collectif9’s chamber music workshop.

REPERTOIRE (French only)

Artists

collectif9
Laureate at the 2025 JUNOS and Performer of the Year at the 2025 Prix Opus, Montreal string ensemble collectif9 is known for their innovative programming and approach to chamber music. The string nonet aims to promote classical music from a personal perspective, where new voices and interpretations are welcomed and encouraged, performing “with an infectious energy and vigour that grabs an audience’s attention” (The WholeNote). Since their 2011 debut, collectif9 has performed numerous concerts across North America, Europe, and Asia.

collectif9 is grateful to the arts councils of Montreal, Quebec, and Canada, and to FACTOR for their continued financial support, but also to their local and Canadian community, thanks to whom our governments ensure support for the arts, an essential investment for the quality of our lives.

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