Chants Libres & Oktoecho
Sainte Marine
Artist Showcase
Opera
National Arts Center
Tuesday, December 2
8:00 p.m.
Marie-Annick Béliveau
A leading lyrical performer, Marie-Annick Béliveau has developed over the past 25 years a singular, boundary-defying, and interdisciplinary practice. She has premiered more than thirty vocal works by Canadian and European composers. Since June 2022, she has been the Artistic Director of Chants Libres, a creation-based opera company founded 34 years ago by Pauline Vaillancourt, while simultaneously pursuing an international career as a performer committed to research-creation and new music.
Katia Makdissi-Warren
Innovative composer Katia Makdissi-Warren is recognized on both the national and international scenes for her unique style that blends Middle Eastern, Western, and Indigenous music. In 2001, she founded the Oktoecho Ensemble, dedicated to musical cross-pollination, for which she regularly composes and serves as artistic director. Her fusion-based aesthetic leads her to collaborate frequently—as a composer, ensemble director, and performer—with Indigenous, Arab, and Jewish communities. She is the recipient of the Betty Webster Award (2022). With her ensemble, she has received several awards, including the OPUS Award for Best Album in 2019 and the Montreal Arts Council’s Diversity and Inclusion Award in 2020.
Sainte Marine
Sainte Marine is an immersive opera that delves into the life of Saint Marina, a 5th-century Maronite woman from Lebanon who, disguised as a man, embraced monastic life. The narrative explores her experiences of grief, societal rejection, and resilience.
Conceived by creators Marie-Annick Béliveau, Katia Makdissi-Warren, and Charlie Poirier-Bouthillette, the performance blends theatrical tableaux with musical compositions based on the hymns of Saint Ephrem.
Presented in French and Syriac, the opera offers a dreamlike and participatory experience, inviting audiences to reflect on the evolving role of women over the centuries.