Members

CREATING TODAY WHAT WILL BE THE NORM TOMORROW

Founded in 1990 by soprano Pauline Vaillancourt, in association with Joseph St-Gelais and Renald Tremblay, Chants Libres offers an operatic repertoire adapted to the colours of modernity, constantly exploring new techniques and approaches to vocal art, and working in close collaboration with creators and researchers of all disciplines. With nineteen creations to its credit, Chants Libres enjoys a solid reputation and the company has become an indispensable tool for creators and performers who wish to explore new forms and processes of multidisciplinary operatic creation.

Since July 2022, mezzo-soprano Marie-Annick Béliveau has been the company’s artistic director. This key performer on the contemporary music scene is committed to a research-creation process that she intends to pursue as head of the company.

Chants Libres is playing an increasingly important role in training new talent and disseminating new works. The company’s international presence ensures an ever-increasing influence for local creators. Over the past thirty years, Chants Libres’ creations have been presented on tour in Venezuela, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands. The company has hosted the international New-OP 8 conference in Montreal and continues to build on this with its Oper’Actuel Works In Progress events and research-creation labs.

The impact of Chants Libres’ mission and its creations on the whole of the international operatic scene has been recognized through numerous prizes.