Biography
Renowned for her “rich and deep sound as well as her virtuosity and exceptional enthusiasm” (The Strad), violist Marina Thibeault invests the musical scene with an ever renewed fervor as a chamber musician, concert artist and soloist. Convinced that one must “undergo everything, experience everything, face all obstacles, all contradictions” (Pierre Perrault), she sails through the sometimes tumultuous waves of a carefully curated repertoire, approaching old and new works with the same commitment. Through her practice, she constantly questions the traditional place of the performer in order to embody a poetic approach as well as a quest to surpass herself physically and spiritually.
Named Revelation of the Year 2016-2017 by Radio-Canada, Marina has since been invited to perform as a soloist internationally with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Northern Czech Republic, the Orchestra of Mariánské Lázně, the Chamber Orchestra of Santiago, as well as in recital in Verbier. In Canada, audiences have heard her with the Metropolitan Orchestra, La Sinfonia Toronto, and the Agora Symphony Orchestra, among others. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated with members of the Guarneri Quartet and the Cleveland Quartet, as well as with Charles Richard-Hamelin, Marie-Nicole Lemieux and Johannes Moser. Her interest in new music has led her to work with composers John Corigliano, Joan Tower and Krzysztof Penderecki.
Marina has recorded three albums on ATMA Classique, all of which have received strong critical and public acclaim. Her first release, Toquade (2016), was selected in the “Classical Album of the Year” category at the 2017 ADISQ Gala as well as in the “Record of the Year” category at the 2018 Prix Opus. Recorded in 2019, ELLES has contributed to the recognition of the work of women composers who are unfairly forgotten or unknown to the general public. Her most recent musical adventure, Viola Borealis (2022), reflects her willingness to connect different languages within creative programming. With this album, she revisits her own relationship to the north by traversing works by Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks and Anishinaabe artist Melody McKiver, as well as the very first viola concerto, composed around 1716 by Telemann.
Highly awarded with scholarships and honors, Marina is a graduate of McGill University and the Curtis Institute of Music. Since 2019, she has had the privilege of teaching at the University of British Columbia as an assistant professor where she helps to awaken and affirm the sometimes unexpected artistic vocations of her students.
Having studied the connections between sports psychology and performance as part of her DMus, Marina happily enriches her artistic practice by exploring the surrounding landscapes on her bike or run.
Marina Thibeault plays an English viola made by Gordon Kerr (2020) and wishes to thank the anonymous donor of the instrument.
Biography
Born in Mont-Tremblant, Noémie Caron-Marcotte begins learning the flute at the age of 6 with Claire Marchand at the McGill University Music Conservatory. She stands out during all her childhood by winning several competitions: 1st prize at the Concours des jeunes musiciens des Laurentides and 2nd place in her category at the Canadian Music Competition.
She began her studies in interpretation of the flute at Cégep Saint-Laurent under the direction of Ms. Diane Caplette, then at the Faculty of Music at the Université de Montréal where she completed, under the direction of Mrs. Lise Daoust, her Bachelor’s Degree (2011) and her Master’s Degree (2013), obtaining a mention of excellence for her final recital.
In 2017, Noémie completed a D.E.S.S. in orchestral excerpts at the piccolo under the direction of Ms. Caroline Séguin, Principal piccolo at the Orchestre Métropolitain. This specialization allows her to stand out at international auditions. She was a finalist for the position of Principal Piccolo at Florida Orchestra (May 2017), Nashville Symphony (April 2018) and San Diego Symphony (January 2019).
Noémie is now Principal Flute of the Orchestre de l’Agora, conducted by Nicolas Ellis, and joins in as a freelancer at the Orchestre Métropolitain, the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières as well as ensembles within different musical styles, such as Oktopus.
A fine pedagogue and a valued teacher, she is also involved in many educational projects in the greater Montreal area, communicating her passion and her art.
Biography
Originally from Wingham, Ontario, cellist Thomas Beard currently holds the positions of principal cello with the Orchester de l’Agora and assistant principal cello with the Orchester symphonique de Sherbrooke. He is also the coordinator of a series of concert-workshops presented at the Montreal Detention Facility (Bordeaux) and at the University Institute for Mental Health in Montreal. He studied with Paul Pulford at Wilfrid Laurier University before transferring to McGill University where he completed his Bachelor of Music degree with Yegor Dyachkov. He then completed his Masters of Music and Artist Diploma at McGill University, under the continued guidance of Yegor Dyachkov.
Thomas’ orchestral experience includes playing with the l’Orchestre classique de Montréal, Ensemble Classico-Moderne, FILMharmonique, l’Orcheste symphonique de Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada (2009/ 2010), the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, and the National Academy Orchestra (2018/2019). He also distinguished himself by winning the Stratford Concerto Competition (2011), the McGill Chamber Music Competition (2014) taking him to Austria to perform, and participating in master classes given by Philippe Mueller, Chris Hoyle and Ralph Kirshbaum, Rachel Mercer, Johannes Moser, and Steven Isserlis.Thomas’ recently performed in the piano quartet for Fever’s production of ‘The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience’ in Montreal. He also recorded for BBC2 with the electro-acoustic artist Tim Hecker for the series ‘The North Water’ and continues to record for several indie/pop bands in Montreal.
Biography
Recognized for his intensity and the depth of his interpretations, conductor Benoit Gauthier is the founder and artistic director of the Orchestre Symphonique de la Côte-Nord (OSCN), and Conducting Fellow at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia under the mentorship of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Ford Mylius Lallerstedt, and James Ross. He was recently awarded the Jean-Marie Beaudet Award in Orchestra Conducting by the Canadian Council of the Arts.
To pursue his vision of fostering exchange between the public and artists, at age 16, Benoit founded his orchestra in the only region of Quebec that did not yet have a symphony orchestra, Côte-Nord. This project is based on his desire to make art and music accessible to all. In just a few years, the OSCN has become a well-established professional orchestra, offering solid interpretations of major symphonic works (Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Mahler’s Fourth Symphony in 2022, a Beethoven Symphony Cycle from 2023 to 2025, etc.), and organizing tailor-made tours that take into account the geographical reality of the region (Un vent de Renouveau in 2023, Affluence with the Orchestre du Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean in 2022, and Traversée Symphonique with the Quebec Transport Society and the Orchestre de l’Estuaire in 2025).
Young audiences are also at the heart of Benoit Gauthier’s musical priorities. He regularly engages with them, creating and promoting cultural mediation initiatives, as well as efforts to encourage access to the rich and vast repertoire of classical music. Since 2019, he and his colleagues has been regularly visiting Basse-Côte-Nord, which is only accessible by plane or boat, to foster opportunities for dialogue about music in remote regions.
In 2023, with the participation of regional artists and cultural organizations, Benoit created two colorful youth productions: The Story of a Nutcracker, based on Tchaikovsky’s famous work, and Babar and a Few Other Notes, which represents the different families of instruments to bring to life a musical illustrated tale exploring the works of composer Francis Poulenc. This show is currently touring with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, the Laval Symphony Orchestra, and the OSCN. His work with both emerging and established composers has led to the creation of landmark works such as the symphonic poem Nordicité (2022) by North Shore composer Martin Caron, as well as the Symphonic Suite based on the play Cyrano de Bergerac (2023) by Simon Desbiens.
After obtaining an undergraduate degree from the Quebec Conservatory of Music in flute performance under Jacinthe Forand and in orchestral conducting under Gilles Auger, Benoit honed his skills in masterclasses with Robert Spano, Marin Alsop, Bramwell Tovey, and Mei-Ann Chen. From 2021 to 2024, he was one of six young Canadian conductors in the first cohort of the Orchestre Métropolitain’s Conducting Academy, led by its artistic director and principal conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
In recent seasons, Benoit Gauthier has conducted the Orchestre Métropolitain, the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, and the Berlin Opera Academy Orchestra, and has assisted conductors Yannick Nézet-Séguin, JoAnn Falletta, Victorien Vanoosten, Carlos Spierer, and Andreas Ottensamer.
Benoit Gauthier is also a versatile pianist. His passion for collaborating with singers led him to train with renowned vocal coaches such as Wolfgang Holzmair, Christine Brewer, François Le Roux, Olivier Godin, and Jennifer Larmore. He has therefore brought a deeper knowledge of singing and vocal repertoire to recent assistant conductor engagements in the world of opera, including George Lewis’ Comet/Poppea and Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen with the Curtis Opera Theatre (2024) as well as Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi with the Berlin Opera Academy (2022).
In the 2024-2025 season, Benoit looks forward to his debut in New York at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, as well as returning to the Laval Symphony Orchestra and touring the Côte-Nord region with various projects and concerts with the OSCN. With the OSCN, he will also present the premiere of Healing Requiem by the young composer and pianist Alexis Volant, originally from Pessamit. This work for soprano, baritone, traditional drummers ensemble, choir, and orchestra, was written in memory of the Indigenous youth whose graves have been found in recent years at various sites across Canada.
Benoit Gauthier received the 2023 Emerging Artist Award on the Côte-Nord, presented by Culture Côte-Nord. He is also the recipient of numerous scholarships, including from the AIDA Fund of the Jeunesses Musicales Canada Foundation, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and the Canada Art Council as a composer, flutist and conductor.
