Viola Borealis Marina Thibeault, Orchestre de l'Agora & Nicolas Ellis

• Pēteris Vasks (b. 1946): Concerto for viola and string orchestra:
• 1Vasks: Concerto for viola and string orchestra: I. Andante07:17
• 2Vasks: Concerto for viola and string orchestra: II. Allegro moderato07:32
• 3Vasks: Concerto for viola and string orchestra: III. Andante10:37
• 4Vasks: Concerto for viola and string orchestra: IV. Adagio08:58
• Melody McKiver (b. 1988): Reckoning:
• 5McKiver: Reckoning: VI. Ningodwaaswi (Arr. for viola by François Vallières, Transc. Robert Drisdelle)02:30
• 6McKiver: Reckoning: II. Niizh (Arr. for viola by François Vallières, Transc. Robert Drisdelle)05:10
• Georg Philipp Telemann (1681 - 1767): Concerto for viola, strings, and continuo in G major, TWV51:G9:
• 7Telemann: Concerto for viola, strings, and continuo in G major, TWV51:G9: I. Largo03:16
• 8Telemann: Concerto for viola, strings, and continuo in G major, TWV51:G9: II. Allegro02:38
• 9Telemann: Concerto for viola, strings, and continuo in G major, TWV51:G9: III. Andante02:46
• 10Telemann: Concerto for viola, strings, and continuo in G major, TWV51:G9: IV. Presto03:34
• Total Runtime54:18

Info zu Viola Borealis

With her latest album, Viola Borealis, violist Marina Thibeault explores the musical links between several northern cultures. From the 2016 concerto by Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks to solo works by Anishinaabe composer Melody McKiver to the very first viola concerto—composed around 1716 by Telemann—the elections on this album showcase the spellbinding talent of Thibeault, who is joined by Orchestre de l’Agora under Nicolas Ellis.

Of special note are two pieces for solo viola by Melody McKiver. “Ningodwaaswi” and “Niizh” are part of Reckoning, a larger work dedicated to the memory of the composer’s grandmother, a residential school survivor.

“What a beautiful meeting in music! Marina’s interpretation of my viola concerto is truly excellent. She has captured and sensed my message. It is a pleasure to witness her own personal vision and understanding of it. We are together a double power. The way to confirm love and light in the viola concerto is not an easy one. She has power, confidence and, of course, excellent performance skills. And that is why the audience believes in her!“ (Pēteris Vasks)

Marina Thibeault, alto, viola
Orchestre de l'Agora
Nicolas Ellis, direction

Marina Thibeault
Marina's “plangent tone and expressive phrasing” (The Strad) foreground a great richness in her playing that is on display across various styles. Named Radio-Canada’s classical “Revelation” for 2016-2017, Marina has delighted audiences across Canada, the United States, and Europe with her elegant, spellbinding performances and engaging presence.

An accomplished concerto soloist, Marina has performed with the North Czech Philharmonic, Mariánské Lázně Symphony Orchestra, the Santiago Chamber Orchestra, the Verbier festival, the Orchestre Métropolitain, the Sinfonia Toronto, to mention a few. Marina’s first album, Toquade, was released in April 2017 on the ATMA label, and was nominated by the ADISQ and Prix Opus for Album of the Year.

Her 2020 JUNO Award-nominated album ELLES honours groundbreaking women composers from Clara Schu- mann to the present day. A passionate advocate for women’s rights, Thibeault has utilized the broad-ranging ELLES project in various iterations to reach out to at-risk women and raise awareness for organizations that sup- port this important cause.

As pedagogue, Marina Thibeault joined the faculty of The UBC School of Music as Assistant Professor of Viola and Chamber Music in 2019. She has also been teaching in the summer at the Domaine Forget International Academy since 2018.

Nicolas Ellis
is the Artistic Director, Conductor and Founder of the Orchestre de l’Agora and currently serves as Artistic Partner to the Orchestre Métropolitain and Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Mr. Ellis appeared as guest conductor with Les Violons du Roy, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Orchestre de chambre I Musici de Montréal, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the Orchestre Métropolitain, Symphony Nova Scotia, the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. He also regularly collaborates with the Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier lyrique.

Nicolas Ellis has participated in a number of conducting workshops, most notably at the Verbier Festival, assist- ing Maestro Valery Gergiev, the Aspen Music Festival where he studied with Robert Spano, and at the Accademia Chigiana di Siena with Gianluigi Gelmetti.

He is the recipient of the 2017 Bourse de carrière Fernand-Lindsay and was named Revelation of the Year 2018- 2019 by Radio-Canada. More recently, he won the Prix Goyer Mécénat Musica 2021.

The Orchestre de l’Agora
under the direction of Nicolas Ellis, is a multifaceted musical collective that is rein- venting the role that classical musicians play in their community by focusing on their talent and commitment. Our musicians, who are young professionals from the Montreal area, are among the finest of their generation. Through their music, they actively take part in our bold concerts and outreach efforts. Since it was founded in 2013, the Orchestre has had a twofold purpose: to showcase art and classical music, and to contribute to society. Much like its founder, Nicolas Ellis, the Orchestre is focused on the core values of initiative, collaboration, com- mitment, impact, and boldness. These values have been reflected in the Orchestre’s many undertakings over the years, such as Concert solidaire presented in July 2020: the first symphonic concert before an audience in North America, following the end of concerts in March 2020 (pandemic). The Orchestre has begun a partnership with the Montreal Detention Centre in 2021-22, to present concert-workshops for incarcerated people. Through the efforts of musicians convinced of the power of music as a tool for social change, the Orchestre has since been able to contribute more than $175 000 to environmental & community organizations, by giving concerts to raise funds for them. Since 2013, the Orchestre’s musicians have given music lessons and free performances for hundreds of underprivileged children, through a partnership with the music program of Share the Warmth and Les Porteurs de musique.

Booklet für Viola Borealis