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OktoEcho
OktoEcho thrusts the listener into a sonic world brimming with hope, aspiration and lyricism found in that
incredible interlude between the Middle East and the West. OktoEcho, an ensemble of 3 to 20 musicians under
the Artistic Direction of composer Katia Makdissi-Warren, explores mixed music and musical sounds through
Quebecois compositions all its own.
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Founded in 2001, based in Montreal
Number of musicians: 3 to 20 (variable)
Recordings: Neos 2003; Éponyme 2009; 5e Route bleue (February 2010)
3 nominations by the Canadian Folk Music Awards, 2009
Nomination for a Prix Opus for Recording of the Year – Jazz, World Music, 2010
• Katia Makdissi-Warren commissioned to compose music for permanent multimedia exhibit at the
• Burj-Dubai Tower (highest structure in the world, 2009)
• Annual participation at Festival de musique arabe de Montréal (Montreal Arabic Music Festival)
Alexandre Duguay T +1 514 389.5307 [email protected]
OktoEcho - press kit EN
www.oktoecho.com
PROGRAMMES
EPONYMOUS
At the crossroads of the Middle East and the West, OktoEcho offers a modern reading of free
trade through music. Under the artistic direction of the composer Katia Makdissi-Warren,
OktoEcho consists of 13 improviser-musicians of international calibre. Each member contributes
- through his or her experience and cultural background (world music, classical, jazz, etc.) - to a
multicultural melding creating a new musical language.
The 5th BLUE ROAD
The music of THE 5th BLUE ROAD was inspired by diversity of urban cities. Drawing on MiddleEastern, jazz and contemporary music, each of the four cosmopolitan guest-musicians invites
the listener to a world of allegory – a clandestine city where diversity dissolves into a single
harmony.The album title’s use of the colour blue is a nod to the Blue Note underlining the vital
role of improvisation in this project. The number 5 refers to the 5 artists (composer and
improviser/musicians) who have set off on this path lined with surprises, encounters and the
unexplored.The 5th Blue Road features Ismail Fencioglu (oud), Marianne Trudel (piano), Patrcik
Graham (percussions) and Étienne Lépine-Lafrance (double bass).
TITLE TO CONFIRM (Arabic music meets klezmer music)
OktoEcho, under the baton of Katia Makdissi-Warren, is pleased to welcome 5 klezmer musicians to their
ensemble: Jason Rosenblatt (harmonica), Alexis Basque (trumpet), Sergiu Popa (accordion), Nathaniel Seelen
(clarinet) and Michael Abikhzer (voice). Seven of OktoEcho’s musicians together with their Klezmer guest
musician will play in a programme that features original works of many genres written especially for the occasion
by Quebecois composers Jason Rosenblatt, Anthony Rozankovic, Denis Dion, Marianne Trudel, Alexis Basque
and Katia Makdissi-Warren.
ORIENT-TANGO (Music meets marionette theatre)
Orient-Tango is an ode to human adventure drawing from the musical aesthetics of Latin America (Argentina) and
the Middle East (Lebanon) as seen through the eyes of today’s contemporary, multicultural society. Orient-Tango
whisks listeners from the desert to the sea evoking themes such as discovery, migration and recollections. A
number of composers wrote pieces for this project including Agnès Zacharie, Katia Makdissi-Warren, Véronika
Makdissi-Warren as well as Mario Villeneuve. OktoEcho will be joined by two outstanding musicians for this
programme: guitarist Sergio Puccini and bandoneon-player Rodolfo Romeros. The programme will showcase
compositions by Katia Makdissi-Warren, Gustavo Cabili, Gabriel Evangelista and Marianne Trudel.
Alexandre Duguay T +1 514 389.5307 [email protected]
OktoEcho - press kit EN
www.oktoecho.com
BIOGRAPHIES
Katia Makdissi-Warren, artistic director, composer & conductor
Katia studied composition in Quebec City and Hamburg as well as Arabic and Syrian music in Beirut. She holds
a PhD in composition and is a graduate of Michel Longtin’s class. She participated in composition workshops
given by Franco Donatoni, Ennio Morricone, Manfred Stahnke and P. Hage. Her compositions, regularly
broadcast on radio, have been performed by Middle-Eastern and Western soloists as well as ensembles
including the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Beirut’s National Oriental Orchestra, Appassionata,
Arraymusic and the Al-Madiyye ensemble. In addition to composing and performing, she also conducts Quebec
City’s modern music ensemble Erreur de Type 27 and is the guest conductor of the Consort contemporain de
Québec. In the summer of 2008, she helmed the orchestra of Quebec City’s Capitole production of Les
Misérables. She has also worked as Léo Brouwer’s Assistant Conductor for the recording of a CD produced by
Doberman which features some of her works. She is an award-nominated composer for numerous musical,
theatre, dance and film companies in Canada, France and Germany. Nominations include the Bernard Bonnier
prize (theatre music) and the Gala des Masques. In 2009, Katia was commissioned to compose the music for a
permanent multimedia exhibit at the Burj-Dubaï Tower in Dubai, the highest structure in the world. She is the
Artistic Director/Composer for the ensemble OktoEcho which specialises in mixed music of Middle-Eastern and
Western roots.
Ralda Salem, nay (oriental flute) and voice
A graduate in Musicology of the Université St-Esprit in Kaslik, Lebanon, Ralda also holds performance degrees
in nay. She has recorded many CD’s with well-known artists including Sister Keyrouz, the Arabesque Sextet and
with P. Tarabay. She performs and tours regularly in Canada and Lebanon and has also toured with Sister
Keyrouz as appointed flautist in Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, Morocco, etc. Ralda was a nay professor at the
Conservatoire supérieur de Beyrouth (Music Conservatory of Beirut, Lebanon) until 2001. She is a grant
recipient of the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec enabling her to undertake research and composition
for the nay. In October 2009, one of her compositions for nay and chamber orchestra was broadcast on RadioCanada performed by the ensemble Erreur de Type 27.
Ismail Hakki Fencioglu, oud
Vocalist and oud player Ismail Hakki Fencioglu studied at the State Conservatory of Istanbul Technical University
in the department of chant and specialized in the classical Turkish music singing techniques under Alaeddin
Yavasca, Bekir Sidki Sezgin and Tulin Yakarcelik. While still a student, he gave many performances on Turkish
television. He reached vast audiences with his performances in the "Cassette Anthology" and "Unforgettable
Composers" series. He was one of the members of the State Clasical Turkish Music Chorus which was
conducted by Nevzat Atli. After earning his Bachelor's degree from the Conservatory he began working as an
arranger and composer in various recording studios. Ismail moved to Canada in 2001 and is presently conductor
of Montreal Turkish Music Chorus and the Ottawa Turkish Music Chorus. In addition to working with Canadian
artists Berrenna Maccrimmon, Jason Rosenblatt and with his own band Marmara, Ismail performs regularly with
his two choruses. A most recent highlight was his performance with the master Turkish musician, Erkan Ogur at
Montreal's Festival Du Monde Arabe. In addition to his career as a performer and conductor, Ismail is a
wonderful instrument builder and has crafted more than 70 beautiful instruments over the past 10 years.
Alexandre Duguay T +1 514 389.5307 [email protected]
OktoEcho - press kit EN
www.oktoecho.com
Marianne Trudel, pianiste, compositrice, improvisatrice.
Recipient of the Prix Étoiles Galaxie de Radio-Canada (2007) for the best composition played at the Montreal
Jazz Festival, pianist and composer Marianne Trudel has played in Canada, United States and France in various
settings, including solo piano recitals, trios, quintet and large ensemble for which she writes and arrange all of
the music. Marianne has a strong and eclectic musical background that shows her multiple interests in the
infinite phenomenon of music. Her previous studies have included a Master in Ethnomusicology (Université de
Montréal), a Bachelor in Jazz Performance (McGill University) and two collegiate degrees in jazz arranging and
classical piano. Her research includes an exploration of the multiple aspects (social, political, etc…) involved in
performing improvised music in a group setting. She founded «Au cœur des musiques improvisées», serie of
concerts-conferences, through which she has invited Malcolm Goldstein, Jean Derome, Michel Lambert, Robert
Marcel Lepage, Martin Tétreault and Bernard Falaise. She has shared the stage with, among others, Charles
Aznavour, Chucho Valdes, George Lewis, Mark Dresser, Lori Freedman, Ron Di Lauro, Juan Carlos Caceres,
Muhal Richard Abrams, Evan Parker, Dylan van der Schyff, Jean Derome and Kenny Wheeler. She has
composed and arranged for the Henri Mancini Institute Orchestra (Los Angeles, CA), Bernard Primeau Jazz
Ensemble, Altsys Jazz Orchestra, Toronto Jazz Orchestra, Hugh Fraser Jazz Orchestra, McGill Jazz Orchestra,
Big Band of the University of Montreal, and Oktoecho.
Patrick Graham, percussions
Canadian multi-percussionist Patrick Graham fuses his training in Western classical and contemporary music
and his extensive explorations of Mediterranean, Irish, South Indian and Japanese rhythms to create a highly
personal, cross-cultural approach to percussion. Patrick has studied with Pierre Béluse (Montréal), Glen Velez
(New York), Carlo Rizzo (Grenoble), Trichy Sankaran (Toronto), and Taichi Ozaki (Tokyo). He holds a Bachelor of
Music from McGill University (Montréal), and has attended workshops and master classes at the Banff Center for
the Arts, Simon Fraser University, and the KOSA International Percussion Workshops, as well as participating in
the first Taiko Koh-Kan workshops conducted by the group Kodo, on Sado Island in Japan. An extremely
versatile player, Patrick performs and records internationally with a variety of artists and ensembles in a
multitude of styles, including Autorickshaw, La Nef, the duo GaPa with Ganesh Anandan, On Ensemble,
FingerWorks, ima ensemble, Norouet, Ramasutra, Asa Nisi Masa and the Nishikawa Ensemble.
Michelle Seto, violon
Violinist Michelle Seto has been a member of the dynamic Quebec City chamber orchestra, Les Violons du Roy
since 1992. She has appeared as soloist with some of Canada’s leading orchestras, including the National Arts
Centre Orchestra, the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Calgary
Philharmonic Orchestra, and with her own ensemble, Les Violons du Roy. As a student, she distinguished
herself by winning the first prizes in several of Canada’s national competitions, including the Canadian Music
Competition, the CIBC Competition, the Début Series, and the Quebec Symphony Competition. She was the
recipient of a Canada Council “B” Grant, which enabled her study to pursue her graduate studies in Boston at
the New England Conservatory with James Buswell. Before that, she studied with Mauricio Fuks at McGill
University and in London, England.
Alexandre Duguay T +1 514 389.5307 [email protected]
OktoEcho - press kit EN
www.oktoecho.com
Alexandre Duguay, violon
Since completing his musical studies at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal and McGill
University in Violin Performance, Alexandre has appeared in many concerts throughout Quebec and Canada. He
has played with orchestras and chamber music ensembles and is a member of Montreal’s Tango Vivo ensemble
which performed at Montreal’s International Jazz Festival in 2001. Known for his sensitive playing and versatility,
he has also participated in projects for television, advertising, theatre and film. In addition to being a member of
OktoEcho, Alexandre was also part of the Celtic rock group Corrigan Fest.
He devotes much of his time to computer-derived music and audio post-production projects given his strong
interest in the combination of image and sound. He has composed, produced and directed musical indicators for
CIBL Radio-Montréal, scores for short films presented in various festivals throughout Quebec, the USA and
Europe, as well as music for corporate videos and ads.
Frédéric Lambert, alto
In 2006, Frédéric completed a Master’s degree in Music at McGill University (Montreal, Canada) in the class of
André Roy. He takes a special interest in chamber music which he has been exploring actively as a member of
the Lloyd Carr-Harris String Quartet since 2006. The Quartet received the prestigious Sir MacMillan Memorial
Foundation Award which included a series of European concerts in 2004. Frédéric joins well-known ensembles
regularly including the McGill Chamber Orchestra, Musica Camerata, Quebec City’s Les Violons du Roy, La
Sinfonia de Lanaudière and La Société de musique contemporaine du Québec. In addition to playing classical
music, Frédéric is also a violinist for the world music ensemble Druzkovka that draws inspiration from Eastern
European, jazz, klezmer, tango and Cuban traditions and rhythms.
Étienne Lafrance, contrebasse
Born in Montreal in 1975, Étienne Lafrance began his double bass studies in 1990 at the Conservatoire de
musique de Québec where he was unanimously awarded, with distinction, the prize in double bass and chamber
music for his graduating competition in 1999. During the course of his studies, he was under the guidance of
talented musicians such as Paul Ellison, Jean Michon, Harold Robinson, Joel Quarrington. He followed a oneyear training session in Paris with François Rabbath, renowned for his “Nouvelle technique de la contrebasse”.
Currently assistant-double bass at the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Étienne Lafrance extends his art into
the realms of jazz and the song repertoire in Quebec.
Carla Antoun, violoncelle
A native of Lebanon, Carla began her musical studies at Beirut’s Académie de musique and later pursued the
mat the Montreal’s Conservatoire de musique du Québec, where she graduated with top honours in 1984. She
continued to perfect her art in Austria under Tobias Kuhne at Vienna’s music academy. In 1986, she won First
Prize at the Concours de l'Orchestre symphonique de Québec. Carla has appeared both as a soloist and
member of a chamber group or orchestra in Canada, Austria and Japan. Since 1995, she has been performing
with Montreal’s Musica Camerata.
Alexandre Duguay T +1 514 389.5307 [email protected]
OktoEcho - press kit EN
www.oktoecho.com
PRESS
Emirate Business 24/7 - Keith J Fernandez - 5 janvier 2010
Finally, the wait's over and we cross the Metro-style security barrier onto a darkened, 65-metre-long
travellator, gliding past a rather well executed multimedia display of the city's history from pearl diving hub
to gleaming capital of commerce. Music specially composed by Canada's Katia Makdissi-Warren pipes in,
suitably blending Arabic rhythms with contemporary orchestrations.
Le Devoir - Vitrines du disque – Yves Bernard - 5 juin 2009
D'abord connu sous le nom de Zeugma, l'ensemble montréalais dirigé par la compositrice Katia MakdissiWarren explore les possibilités de métissage entre le Moyen-Orient et les autres cultures. Une musique écrite,
sérieuse, mais qui laisse libre cours à l'expression d'ornementations personnelles et à l'improvisation. Quatre
violons, un alto, un violoncelle et une contrebasse confèrent de fascinants contrastes au sein d'une musique
ponctuée d'un oud microtonal, d'une flûte nay aérienne, d'un piano harmonique, d'un chant très délicat et de
la multipercussion qui ponctuent des rythmes complexes. S'y dégage un mélange de sensualité et de densité.
Riches et très diversifiés, les arrangements provoquent des unissons et de fréquents dialogues entre des
instruments. Certaines pièces sont courtes et douces, alors que d'autres permettent de nombreux anticlimax
en formation complète. Le mariage entre les mondes est magnifiquement consommé.
La Presse - Alain Brunet - 6 juin 2009
La démarche de l'ensemble est non seulement de joindre les univers musicaux du Moyen-Orient et de
l'Occident, mais d'aller plus loin que la simple juxtaposition. L'idée est de sentir profondément ces deux
cultures musicales, et ainsi développer une autre façon de percevoir. Cela s'applique autant pour les
compositeurs impliqués dans le processus de création que pour les musiciens qui interprètent cette musique.
Tous et toutes, il va sans dire, sortent de cette expérience avec un accent modifié. Il était une fois dans
l'Ouest... et dans l'Est.
Le Soleil – Richard Boisvert - 6 juin 2009
Alexandre Duguay T +1 514 389.5307 [email protected]
OktoEcho - press kit EN
www.oktoecho.com
Elle-même compositrice, Katia Makdissi-Warren s'est spécialisée à la fois dans les musiques du Moyen-Orient
et de l'Occident. L'un des objectifs d'OktoEcho consiste selon elle à faire ressentir la musique arabe aux
musiciens québécois comme les Arabes eux-mêmes la ressentent. La démarche passe notamment par
l'improvisation et, apparemment, cela fonctionne. On peut facilement le constater en écoutant le contenu de
l'album. Si certaines des 11 compositions originales qu'on y trouve sont de toute évidence inspirées de la
tradition arabe, d'autres demeurent beaucoup plus nuancées quant aux influences qu'on peut y découvrir.
Chose certaine, elles semblent parfaitement refléter la direction que se sont donnée les membres
d'OktoEcho : ni l'un ni l'autre, mais les deux en même temps.
Voir – Réjean Beaucage – 4 juin 2009
La directrice artistique et chef de l'ensemble OktoEcho, Katia Makdissi-Warren, est née à Québec d'une mère
libanaise et d'un père québécois, et son intérêt pour la musique l'a poussée à la rencontre de ses racines
moyen-orientales, retrouvées après un passage par la Musikhochschule de Hambourg. Cette musique-là a donc
pas mal voyagé avant de revenir chez elle. À titre d'exemple, la pièce qui ouvre l'album, Razzia, est
d'inspiration moyen-orientale, mais elle respire aussi le heavy métal, et c'est le piano jazzé de Marianne
Trudel qui la tire en avant. L'ensemble d'une douzaine de musiciens de grande qualité offre une palette
instrumentale métissée et un répertoire qui l'est tout autant.
7 Jours - Marie-France Pépin – 26 mai 2009
L’Espace Dell’Arte a, mardi soir, vibré au rythme d’une savante orchestration musicale des mondes moyenoriental et occidental nommée OktoEcho. [...]Le collectif ne peut mieux s’inscrire dans le paysage
multiculturel québécois, développant une toute nouvelle approche de la musique du monde. «C’est une
nouvelle réalité, quelque part, poursuit le réalisateur. Une personne sur trois Montréal est née à l’étranger.
Une nouvelle identité commence à naître de ce mélange.»
Alexandre Duguay T +1 514 389.5307 [email protected]
OktoEcho - press kit EN
www.oktoecho.com
PHOTOS
Photo Éponyme: Michel Pinault
Photo 5th Blue Road: Tshi
Alexandre Duguay T +1 514 389.5307 [email protected]