Biography
Working in Quebec’s traditional music scene, Nicolas Babineau is a multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer appreciated for his sensitive and versatile musicality. Trained in classical violin at the Conservatoire de Musique de Trois-Rivières, he also studied folk and jazz music with violinist Tommy Gauthier. However, it is the musical world of traditional Quebec fiddlers, their inimitable style and their unexpectedly rich repertoire, that now inspires his approach to the violin. On guitar, Nicolas is an accompanist renowned for his minimalist approach and remarkable conciseness. His duo with Montreal fiddler Alexis Chartrand, which showcases melodies inherited from 20th-century fiddlers, has performed in Quebec, the rest of Canada, the United States, and Sweden. Numerous groups such as the Yves Lambert Trio, La Bottine Souriante, and Réveillons! have benefited from his virtuosity on the violin, guitar, and mandolin during concerts in Canada, Chile, Spain, France, and the United States. Since releasing his first album at the age of 13, Nicolas has participated in the recording, mixing, and production of some fifteen albums of traditional, folk, and pop music. In 2022, he is participating as a sound engineer and musician in the creation of the album Reine de Papier by singer-songwriter Jordane. Co-producer of Babineau/Chartrand’s two albums, a duo album with Jean Duval, and Alexis Chartrand and Colin Savoie-Levac’s album Le Tranino (Rosier), Nicolas draws inspiration from his background in classical music to capture the immediacy of live performances, without editing, and produce recordings prized for their “cozy and intimate atmosphere,” which “allows listeners to pay attention to the smallest details.”
Biography
Montreal-based violoneux Alexis Chartrand has been performing on the Quebec and international scene for several years. Influenced by the links between traditional Quebec music and dance, he is known for his energetic accompaniment of jigs and figure dances. Drawing inspiration from Quebec’s musical tradition, he has also taken an interest in Irish and Scottish music, as well as early music repertoire. He has also studied classical music and contemporary composition. He frequently collaborates with dancers Anne-Marie Gardette and Pierre Chartrand, and has explored the movements and sounds of the traditional and contemporary repertoire with jig dancers Mélissandre Tremblay-Bourassa and Antoine Turmine. His work with multi-instrumentalist Nicolas Babineau has led to the production of two albums, Gigues à 2 faces (2017) and Un beau ptit son (2019), and their performances have been enjoyed throughout Quebec, Canada, the United States, and Sweden. Her research on the links between traditional and baroque performance styles has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Montreal Arts Council, and the Centre des Musiciens du Monde. This work has introduced the baroque violin into Quebec folk music and forged new links between folk and early music. His teaching has been appreciated at CAMMAC, Sutton, and Saint-Alexandre de Kamouraska (Quebec), at the Boxwood Festival (Nova Scotia), and at Carleton University (Ontario), where he has given workshops on the violin, repertoire, and history of traditional Quebec music.
