Quasar: biography
Quasar
• residence: Montréal, Québec
• performer (saxophone quartet)
Jean-Marc Bouchard • Marie-Chantal Leclair • André
Leroux
Quasar reserved pride of place for a number of Québécois composers, with whom it has formed solid partnerships. It aims to contribute to the development of our musical language and provide a platform for new music experiments, exploration and production. At the same time, Quasar constantly seeks out new works on the international scene, which are frequently integrated in its repertoire. The group’s concerts are regularly broadcast by the Société Radio-Canada and the CBC.
The quartet has played throughout Canada and has also performed in Rotterdam, Valencia and in Paris (Festival Présence, Radio-France) where they joined forces with the Ensemble of the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ). In March 2003, they performed the first integral version of Klas Torstensson’s triptych, “Licks & Brains,” as part of the Montréal/Nouvelles Musiques International Festival (MNM).
the “Électrochocs” concert (four new works for saxophone quartet and live electronics), was on tour in Canada in March 2004. This concert was given the Opus Prize of the ‘Concert of the year — new music and electroacoustics” category.
In January 2005, with the Winnipeg Symphony, Quasar premiered “The Chroreography of Time,” by Tim Brady, as part of the WSO New Music Festival. In the same year, Jean-François Laporte’s “La plénitude du vide,” commissioned and premiered by Quasar, won the Opus Prizefor of the ‘New work of the year.’
In May 2005 Quasar welcomed the Arte Saxophone Quartet (Switzerland) for a concert bringing the two quartets together at the Salle Pierre-Mercure in Montréal. In October 2005 Quasar was on tour in the Baltics states (Festivals Gaïda, NYYD, Music of changes) and most recently across Canada (Spring 2006).
[source: www.quasar4.com] [ix-06]
Quasar
