Vox Aeterna Will Celebrate the 7th Annual FESTIVAL DE LA VOIX

Vox Aeterna will celebrate the seventh annual Festival de la Voix, promoting live music, International and Canadian composers and musicians, and professional and emerging artists in seven spectacular and eclectic concerts, as well as offering four exceptional workshops, and four school concerts to encourage children to engage with live performance. From March 21 to April 5 in the West Island (Lachine, Dorval, Beaconsfield, Pointe-Claire, and for the first time, Hudson), Festival de la Voix Founder and Artistic Director Kerry-Anne Kutz welcomes people from all over the city to come together once again to explore, enjoy and celebrate the beauty, versatility and power of music and the human voice.

This year's diverse mix of styles and voices brings together artists and music including prize-winning singer Lavanya and the Dharani Project in Global Visions-a canvas of Indian melodies with percussive colours from West Africa, Brazil and Latin America; charismatic male quartet Quartom; Golden Voices honouring seniors starring awarded powerhouse singer and actor Patsy Gallant along with the 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron Band; lauded local soprano Aline Kutan headlining Le Grand Concert which features three choirs making up 80 singers coming together for the first time; baroque Ensemble Caprice; the jazz of Juno-nominated Angela Galuppo Trio; a concert highlighting four superb choirs in Choralissimo!; authentic spiritual music; and the glorious free concert Les Concerts Lachine et les Saints-Anges en musique presenting top-notch musicians and soloists performing the music of Bach and Handel. This last concert is thrilling for Kutz, who will be singing the beautiful Bach Cantata 202, 'The Wedding Cantata', with Sinfonia de l'Ouest, "I love this piece of music and can't wait to sing it again," she said.

Heading into its seventh season, Kutz is proud to continue bringing accomplished performers to the West Island and now Hudson. Said Kutz, "I am inspired by the beautiful music and talented, professional artists. They and their craft enrich me and the community at large, no matter what style they are performing." She added, "By featuring musicians and music from around the world we address our ever expanding Canadian tapestry; a land of many peoples and cultures. The Global Visions concert gives us an opportunity to hear instruments that many of us have never seen or heard."

Festival de la Voix continues to expand its children's music program in schools. "Youth are our future and the future of high quality live music. If they don't have the opportunity to attend live performances they won't attend as adults," stated Kutz. Along with a variety of artists who will perform for over 1200 students, including First Nations performers Norman Achneepineskum (singer), Sam Ojeda (dancer) and The Buffalo Hat Singers, all classes sing during the concerts. This year they will be singing Paul McCartney's "Blackbird" in Mi'kmaq (as sung by Emma Stevens), "Bambali" from Senegal and Gilles Vigneault's "Les amours, les travaux".

High-calibre workshops are led by: choir master Philippe Bourque, for the advanced choral singer; circus artist Krin Haglund, on communicating with the audience; conductor Floydd Ricketts, on singing the spiritual; and choir conductor Roseline Blain, on the basics of sight-reading. Workshop scholarships are available upon request to those in need, particularly teenagers and young adults who don't have the opportunity to study privately.

Festival de la Voix is unique-including concerts and workshops for people of all ages, from grade school to senior citizens. The Festival's mandate is to bring various communities together to celebrate music and the coming of spring.

Festival de la Voix 7th edition, March 21-April 5, 2020

Complete festival program, dates, venues and artist bios at www.festivaldelavoix.com

Tickets for matinee and evening shows range from Free-$30

Festival Passport: any 4 concerts--$90/$75 for students/seniors

Workshops: register here, scholarships available to anyone in need

For further information: (514) 758-3641 info@festivaldelavoix.com