Composer Simon Bertrand Appointed Interim Artistic Director of the SMCQ

Anik Shooner, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ), announces the appointment of Simon Bertrand as Interim Artistic Director. The composer has been actively involved in the Quebec and Canadian music scene for many years. Mr. Bertrand officially took office on September 13, 2023.

The Board of Directors has chosen to offer Mr. Bertrand the position of Interim Artistic Director to ensure artistic continuity during the ongoing strategic reflection required by the current post-pandemic cultural context. Mr. Bertrand will carry out his mandate in close collaboration with General Manager Aïda Aoun, Assigned Conductor and Musical Advisor Cristian Gort, and an advisory committee for strategic reflection.

"Mr. Bertrand is a renowned composer with a deep understanding of the local music scene and current issues, and brings a structuring vision to the table. We are delighted to be working with him and the entire SMCQ team to ensure the development of our institution," says Ms. Shooner.

"The influence of composers and their works in our society has long been at the heart of my concerns. In this sense, I am in continuity with the SMCQ's founding mandate. However, today's challenges are very different from those of yesterday. With the SMCQ team and the participation of our musical community, I hope to come up with solutions adapted to the evolution of the creative music milieu and relevant to the deployment of the next generations," explains Mr. Bertrand.

For over 20 years, Simon Bertrand has established himself as one of the most prolific and active Quebec composers of his generation. His music has toured the world and been performed by symphony orchestras on several continents, including the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, the Orchestre National d'Île-de-France and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. His music has also been heard in Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, the U.S. and many other countries by various ensembles and soloists. He has composed several film scores, notably for Zentropa (Lars Von Trier's production company) and more recently for Chloé Robichaud's Pays (2016).

The recipient of numerous awards (Prix OPUS, Prix Collégien de Musique contemporaine, Grand Prix at the Busan Maru International Composition Competition in Korea), his music was featured in a SMCQ concert-portrait in January 2022. Trained with the French masters Henri Dutilleux and Claude Ballif, he holds a doctorate from the Université de Montréal under the direction of José Evangelista and Denis Gougeon.