St-John Passion by Johann-Sebastian Bach
Maison symphonique – January 30th, 2026 – 7:30pm
You will find below :
1- About the piece
2- Soloists, director, choir and orchestra’s biographies including lists of the performers
3- Credits
This concert is presented in partnership with 
.
Clic here to access a Brief listening guide. You will find the English version below the French one
____________________________ About the piece ______________________________
Invitation to the theater, to witness a lyric tragedy
This statement may seem subversive for a religious work, but the evidence is clear: J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion borrows all its codes and dramaturgy from Baroque opera. Moreover, prohibiting something is often the surest way to see it come to fruition in another form, and that is exactly what is happening here. In 1724, in Leipzig, church music had to be pious and serve the liturgy, far from the theatrical extravagances of opera, which was then considered a secular entertainment. When J.S. Bach accepted the position of Cantor the previous year, he knew that he was officially giving up composing for the stage. Yet with this Passion, he brings theater into the church. He does not merely set a sacred text to music; he unfolds a true lyrical tragedy.
An opera cast
On this sound stage, each character has a clearly defined role, as in any good opera:
- The Evangelist (tenor) is our narrator. His often breathless and hurried narrative guides us to the heart of the action. He is not a simple storyteller; he is the thread that weaves the plot and makes us experience the events in real time.
- The soloists embody the characters of the drama: a Jesus (bass) who is both dignified and deeply human, a hesitant Pilate, a Peter consumed by remorse.
- The arias, sung by the soloists (soprano, alto, tenor, bass), are moments of freeze frame. The drama freezes and a character, or an imaginary witness, expresses their most intimate emotions in the face of tragedy: pain, doubt, love, anger. It is here that the human heart is revealed in all its complexity.
- The choir is undoubtedly the most terrifying and spectacular character. J.S. Bach entrusts it with the role of the crowd (turba in Latin). By turns hateful, bloodthirsty, and mocking, it becomes a ruthless actor in the drama. Its interventions are short, violent, almost cries, creating immense dramatic tension.
A universal human tragedy
J.S. Bach’s music does not merely seek to illustrate the story, it seeks to make us feel it physically. You will hear the flagellation in the sharp attacks of the strings, the agitation of the crowd in syncopated rhythms and heart-rending harmonies.
But in the midst of this violence, the chorales, these traditional hymns, act as pauses for reflection. This is the moment when the community, yesterday the faithful in the church, today the listeners of this work, is invited to meditate on what is happening.
So, forget the purely liturgical context. What J.S. Bach offers us is the story of a man facing injustice, betrayal, and death. It is a story of power, cowardice, and faith. It is, ultimately, a deeply human drama, whose emotional power remains intact and whose music, nearly 300 years later, has lost none of its impact.
Jean Arnold
Warning: The text of this Passion contains excerpts from the Bible translated by Martin Luther as well as other poetic writings contemporary to J.S. Bach. It should therefore be noted that the use of the word Juden (Jew) does not reflect our current reality and must be understood in its historical context.
____________________________ Biographies ______________________________
Roseline Lambert, soprano 
Known for her charisma and musicality, soprano Roseline Lambert quickly made her way into the baroque scene of Toronto. She regularly sings with Opera Atelier, Trinity Bach Project, Theatre of Early Music, and she is a core member of the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir.
Her baroque repertoire includes works such as the Wedding Cantata (J.S. Bach), Ich bin vergnügt (J.S. Bach), Membra Jesu Nostri (D. Buxtehude), Jesu Meine Freude (J.S. Bach), Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (J.S. Bach). She is also a founding member of Lazzuli Baroque, an ensemble that specializes in Italian madrigals.
Before moving to Toronto, Roseline was in high demand in Montreal. She made her operatic debut performing a stunning Musetta (La Bohème – G. Puccini) produced by Opéra Immédiat (Montreal, Canada). After that, she was invited to sing the angel Gabriel in Haydn’s Creation, conducted by Maestro Louis Lavigueur, and took part, as a soloist, in Carmina Burana, under the direction of Andrew Megill (Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal). In the fall of 2014, she was on tour singing Norina (Don Pasquale – G. Donizetti) with Jeunesses Musicales Canada.
Ms. Lambert also made an impressive performance in the Pop-classical concert « Les Trois Accords Symphonique ». Presented by the OSM in the fall 2014 under the direction of Simon Leclerc, this concert was warmly welcomed by more than 30,000 people as part of the Just for laughs Festival of Montreal in summer 2015.
The soprano has participated in many celebrated summer programs such as the Académie Francis Poulenc (Tours, France), the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute (Toronto, Canada), the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme (Aldeburgh, Angleterre), as well as the Toronto Summer Music Academy (Toronto). Ms. Lambert received grants from the Jeunesses Musicales Canada Foundation, the Canadian Aldeburgh Foundation and the Toronto Summer Music Academy.
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Ian Sabourin, alto
Ian Sabourin is a Canadian countertenor making waves on opera and concert stages across the country. With a voice described as « stunning » and « powerfully expressive », Ian’s performances captivate audiences through both technical mastery and emotional depth. Whether interpreting baroque masterpieces or modern operatic works, his artistry stands out for its clarity, nuance, and brilliance.
Currently based in Montreal, Ian is the first-ever countertenor to join Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier Lyrique, a testament to his rising profile and groundbreaking présence in the Canadian classical music scene.
With award winning performances in Monteverdi,Handel, and new Canadian opera, he‘s making the countertenor voice more accessible and inspiring new generations of singers. He also offers private voice coaching for emerging vocalists.
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Philippe Gagné, tenor – Evangelist
Tenor Philippe Gagné is praised for his rich expressiveness, refined musicality, remarkable vocal agility, and the beauty of his timbre. A specialist in Baroque repertoire, he stands out particularly in French music of this period and the works of J.S. Bach. His career has taken him to numerous international stages, where he collaborates with renowned ensembles … An exceptional interpreter, he owes his reputation to his expertise, numerous achievements, and steadfast commitment to the Baroque world.
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Louis-Charles Gagnon, tenor
Tenor Louis-Charles Gagnon possesses a noble and refined voice that combines a brilliant timbre, expressive style, and effortless agility.
He recently performed Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin cycle in concert with Tempêtes et passions and was a soloist in Carmina Burana (K. Orff) with the Sherbrooke Symphony Orchestra and the Les Rhapsodes choir, as well as in Der Messias (G.F Handel/W.A. Mozart) with the Lévis Symphony Orchestra. He also played the role of Benvolio in Roméo et Juliette (C. Gounod) at the Quebec Opera Festival and the role of Ernesto in Don Pasquale (G. Donizetti) at ItalfestMTL.
Previously, he sang the title role in Le Comte Ory (G. Rossini) with Tempêtes et Passions, Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia/G. Rossini) and the Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto/G. Verdi) at ItalfestMTL, and Rodolfo (La Bohème/G. Puccini) at the Festival-Opéra de Saint-Eustache.
He has played the roles of Nadir (Les Pêcheurs de perles/G. Bizet) and Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor/G. Donizetti) with Jeunesses Musicales Canada. His other achievements include Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni/W.A. Mozart) in Germany with the Lyric Opera Studio Weimar (LOSW), Gherardo (Gianni Schicchi/G. Puccini) and Septimius (Theodora/G.F. Handel) in productions by the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in the United Kingdom.
He also performed at the Quebec Opera Festival in the role of the Second Priest and as Tamino’s understudy (Die Zauberflöte/W.A. Mozart) in a production directed by Robert Lepage. He also played the Clerk (Louis Riel/H. Sommers) and the King/Emperor in the premiere of 3 contes d’Andersen (J-F Mailloux/J-P Lavoie) and was a recurring member of the Brigade lyrique.
He sang at the Maison symphonique in Dvořák’s Stabat Mater with the Chœur classique de Montréal and the Orchestre symphonique des jeunes de Montréal, and at Salle Bourgie as part of the complete cantatas of J.S. Bach. He has also sung numerous Mozart works in concert, including the Solemn Vespers for a Confessor with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra Choir and the Coronation Mass and Regina coeli with the Chœur Classique de l’Estrie. In the United Kingdom, he was a soloist with the Cheshire Sinfonia in the Mass in C (L.v. Beethoven), in the Messe solennelle de Ste-Cécile (C. Gounod) with the Chester Music Society, in The Seasons and The Creation (J. Haydn) with the Ramsbottom Choral Society, and in Messiah (G.F. Handel) with the Southport Bach Choir.
Winner of the 2020 edition of Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques, he also won first place in the 2016 Solo Competition with Orchestra organized by the Faculty of Music at Laval University. In 2015, he won first place in the Concours d’Art Lyrique de la Relève Musicale, accompanied by the S. Cécile-Darveau scholarship, and was awarded the Tremplin scholarship by the Service des arts et de la culture de Drummondville for the excellence of his young artistic career.
Louis-Charles holds a master’s degree in performance from the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester, UK, where he worked with Andrew Heggie. He previously studied at Laval University in Quebec City under the tutelage of Patricia Fournier.
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Olivier Bergeron, basse – Jesus
Quebec baritone Olivier Bergeron debuted at the age of 16 at the Opéra de Montréal, singing the role of the Younger Brother in Dead Man Walking. Praised by Opera Canada for his “impeccable diction,” “supple and rounded voice,” and “convincing acting,” he has since led a flourishing career on both sides of the Atlantic. His stage presence and musical sensitivity make him a sought-after performer in opera and recital alike, captivating audiences with his poise and the refinement of his approach.
His European career began with Christophe Rousset’s Les Talens Lyriques, which led to performances with at the Philharmonie de Paris, London’s Wigmore Hall, and the Verbier Festival. A specialist in Baroque repertoire and French mélodie, he collaborates with renowned conductors such as Fabio Biondi. In North America, he is a regular guest at major venues such as the Festival d’opéra de Québec, the National Arts Centre, and Montreal’s Salle Bourgie.
Olivier Bergeron’s current season is highlighted by the release of his debut album, Nuits Blanches, with pianist Olivier Godin. His recent projects also include an interdisciplinary creation centered around Schubert’s lieder. Trained at the conservatories of Montreal and Paris as well as with Opera Fuoco, he has established himself as a curious, accomplished, and essential artist of his generation.
. Pierre-Étienne Bergeron – Peter and Pilate
For several years now, bass-baritone Pierre-Etienne Bergeron has been pursuing a career primarily as a singer with numerous professional choirs in Canada. He sings regularly with the OSM choir, the OM choir, the Saint-Andrew and Saint-Paul choir, Les Rugissants, the SMAM, and the Ottawa Bach Choir. He was a member of the Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier lyrique. He is also a professional photographer known for his portraits of artists and concert photography.
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Louis Lavigueur, C.Q.
With extensive experience as a choir director, conductor, and teacher, Louis Lavigueur has been directing the Choeur classique de Montréal since the fall of 2008. In August 2019, to mark its 30th anniversary, the choir presented several concerts in Russia during a tour in which Louis Lavigueur also conducted the Pskov and Yaroslavl Philharmonic Orchestras.
Since 1986, Louis Lavigueur has been artistic director and conductor of the Montreal Youth Symphony Orchestra, with which he has recorded several albums and toured Quebec, Canada, Greece, France, Belgium, Germany, China, and the United States. He is also artistic director and conductor of the Montreal Sinfonia Ensemble, which he founded in 2001.
He is choir director of the Chœur polyphonique de Montréal, which is also affiliated with Mary Queen of the World Cathedral. Louis Lavigueur also conducted Ensemble vocal Polymnie in Longueuil for many years. Each year, he conducts several symphonic concerts in addition to those of his vocal ensembles.
As a professor, he was conductor of the Symphony Orchestra, String Orchestra, and Choir of the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal from 1981 to 2017, where he also taught orchestral and choral conducting. He was a guest professor at the Faculty of Music of the University of Montreal and McGill University, where he worked as a conductor and choir director. For 24 years, he conducted the seven orchestras and five choirs of Pierre-Laporte High School and, from 1990 to 2003, the Hull Chamber Orchestra (now Gatineau).
He regularly acts as a consultant, judge, and lecturer. As a guest conductor, he has conducted many orchestras and choirs in Canada, Switzerland, France, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Russia.
Named “Personality of the Week” by La Presse/Radio-Canada in March 2011, Louis Lavigueur received, in June of the same year, the title and decoration of “Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Québec,” Quebec’s most prestigious honorary distinction, awarded annually to exceptional women and men.
In May 2016, he was named Grand Diplômé of Laval University and received the Gloire de l’Escolle medal, an honor that recognizes the exceptional merit of graduates who have distinguished themselves throughout their careers and who, through their professional activities and contributions to society, have brought honor to Laval University and their profession by serving as role models for future graduates.
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In 1987, Radio-Canada brought together singers from Ensemble vocal Claude-Létourneau, Ensemble Louis-Lavigueur, and the Société chorale de Saint-Lambert to present a concert version of Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov. A year later, the choral group created for that occasion took the name Choeur classique de Montréal.
In 2013, the choir celebrated its 25th anniversary in fine fashion with a concert of opera choruses in a debut appearance at theMaison symphonique de Montréal, where it has since returned each year.
In 2019, the Choeur classique de Montréal celebrated the 30th anniversary of its founding. The event was marked by a memorable Russian tour, where the choir performed in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Yaroslav and Pskov, among others places.
The choristers’ passion for music and the variety of the choir’s repertoire are among the Chœur classique de Montréal’s key attributes. Its musical progression has encompassed most of the major worksin the repertoire and others that are less well known. It also reflects the choir’s mission: to share a love of music and regularly offer emerging soloists the opportunity to perform in major concerts. Each of the choir’s artistic directors has contributed to its development towards the level that characterizes it today. With an enviable career as conductor of choirs and orchestras, and as a teacher, MaestroLouis Lavigueur C.Q. has led the Chœur classique de Montréal since the fall of 2008.
The Chœur classique de Montréal is a member of the Alliance chorale du Québec. It has been a beneficiary of the Quebec government’s Mécénat Placements Culture program.
Sopranos : Evgenia Bakulina, Louise Bellisle, Stéphanie Béreau, Vera Berenbaum, Lucie Blain, Victoria Bourdon, Michelle Champagne, Édyth Chaput, Lucie de Chantal, Édith Des Lauriers, Élisabeth Di Lalla Besner, Michelle Dionne, Marie-Josée Drouin, Denise Galarneau, Josée Gariepy, Sophie Gervais, Marie-Andrée Guinard, Heather Higgins, Camille Léal Longuemeaux, Danielle Leblanc, Véronique Le Hénaff, Marie LeFrançois, Myrna Naman, Marie-Claude Prévost, Marta Rzepkowska, Marguerite Senay, Léa Shannon, Ginette Simard. // Altos : Claude-May Ambroise, Christiane Delisle, Nicole Delisle, Francine Drouin, Carine Flot, Édith Grégoire, Raïssa Konovalova, Marjolaine Lalonde, Rose-Marie Lèbe, Francine Lévesque, Lucie Perras, Johanne Rivest, Josée Veillette. // Tenors : Jean-Sébastien Allaire*, Jean Arnold, Christian Barrette, André Bellerive, Jean-Paul Berger, Laurent Bernier, Bernard Cayouette*, Jean Lapointe, Gilles St-Louis, Ricardo Urbina. // Basses : Carl-Henrik Alvin, Pierre-Étienne Bergeron*, Dannick Bujold Senss, Michel Duval*, Pierre Francou, Émile Galipeau, Thomas Pennaforte, Neal Sondheimer, Michel Lamer, Uli Locher, Albert Schenk, Serge Tremblay, Alexandre Villemaire.
*Member of Union des Artistes
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Since its creation in 2001, the Sinfonia de Montréal symphony orchestra has been made up of musicians who are committed to the exploration of the great symphonic repertoire. Coming from different backgrounds but sharing a passion for music, Sinfonia’s musicians combine rigorous performance with the pleasure of playing together under the direction of Maestro Louis Lavigueur. Founded by a group of musicians formerly with the Orchestre symphonique des jeunes de Montréal together with Louis Lavigueur, the orchestra now has more than 70 players and presents the major works of the symphonic repertoire in concerts to the highest standard.
Each year, Sinfonia de Montréal offers a series of three themed concerts, featuring great symphonic classics and lesser-performed pieces from the classical, romantic, and modern periods. Since 2015,
Sinfonia has welcomed the winner of the Festival et Concours de musique classique de Lanaudière as a concert performer in one of its regular concerts, thus showcasing young talent and great concertos. Regularly invited to accompany choirs, Sinfonia de Montréal participates in choral music concerts such as those of the Chœur polyphonique de Montréal, the Petits chanteurs du Mont-Royal and, as tonight, the Chœur classique de Montréal.
Violins 1 : Nayiri Piloyan, Dorian Kartalovski, Isabelle Combey, Sofica Lukianenko, Julie Gagnon, Karen Bell // Violins 2 : Amélie Denoncourt, Marie-Claude Payer-Périard, Catherine Halmich, Catherine Hervouet-Zeiber, Daphné Papillon, Catherine Pelletier // Altos : Julie Simard, Vincent Poirier, Alexander Volobuev, Lise Lambert // Cellos : Jean-Simon Lanoue, Camille Roberge, Léa Serier, Kyela Bertin-Gascoyne // Double basses : Jean-Pierre Leduc, Flora-Jeanne Tazbaz // Viola da gamba (supernumerary) : Margaret Little // Positive organ (supernumerary) : Geneviève Jalbert // Flutes : Dominique Piotte, Annie Montreuil // Oboes : Sarah-Mathilde Dupuis-Gagnon (oboe d’amore), Samuel Clark (English horn) // Bassoon : Erika Kirsch
____________________________ Credits ______________________________
Board of directors : Véronique Le Hénaff, president – Olga Konovalova, vice-president – Sophie Gervais, treasurer – Gilles St-Louis, secretary – Jean Arnold, director – Evgenia Bakulina, director – Francine Drouin, director – Andrée Gauthier, director – Michel Lamer, director
Website: Véronique Le Hénaff
Media committee: Andrée Gauthier, Véronique Le Hénaff, Evgenia Bakulina, Léa Shannon
Other contributors : Jean-Paul Berger, Marguerite Senay, Josée Veillette, Danielle Leblanc,
Honorary members: Mrs. Michelle Dionne, Mr. Denis Dumas †, Mrs. Marie-Andrée Guinard, Mrs. Marthe Fortin-Leclerc †, Mr. Claude Létourneau †, founder, Mr. Maurice Lacoste †, Mrs. Marguerite Senay, Mrs. Marthe Fortin-Leclerc †
Production
Production committee : Sophie Gervais, Olga Konovalova, Véronique Le Hénaff
English translation and revision : Jean Arnold, Albert Schenk
Piece presentation text and brief listening guide: Jean Arnold
On screen projected text: Gilles St-Louis, Michelle Dionne
Projection: Anne-Marie Desbiens
Visual concept and graphics: Duval design communication
Infographics: Agence Ekla
Printer : Reprodoc
Press table : Lise Gaudette
