AT FIRST,
AN INTUITION...
Credit: Ibtissem Selatna,
École secondaire d'Anjou
volier [vɔ.lje] noun
Flock, a group of birds flying together.
You read it right, it's not "voilier" (sailboat), but "volier." For many, the word is surprising, unknown, but for us, it is poetic... and above all, symbolic. It is still heard in some regions of Quebec to describe these beautiful formations of birds in flight. Migratory birds, travelers, bringing with them fragrances, customs, and sounds from elsewhere... singing birds, confident, happy virtuosos, free to fly as high as they wish... birds flying together, aware that their survival depends on their group spirit, their communication, their solidarity. From there, an intuition was born. A wish for our humanity.
MISSION
Founded in 2020 by baritone Pierre Rancourt, Le Volier is an arts organization that produces live performances and conducts workshops using music, poetry, and song to provide audiences with experiences of intercultural dialogue, rooted in the principles of identity affirmation, social inclusion, and education.
MANDATE
Le Volier serves as a catalyst in the field of social action through the arts, thanks to the scope and artistic excellence of its projects, their social relevance, as well as the diverse and complementary intervention methods it uses.
VISION
We aim to build a sense of universal brotherhood and solidarity through instrumental and vocal music, with values including:
Embracing and valuing diversity;
Discovering and developing individual and collective potential;
Optimizing social interactions for the common good.
OUR TEAM
PIERRE RANCOURT
FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
An accomplished and versatile operatic artist, Pierre Rancourt has had a diverse and unconventional career, performing opera as well as pop, experimental or contemporary music in various concert halls, recording studios and music workshops, with a preference for situations where music becomes a vehicle for dialogue and unity. A regular collaborator with the Opéra de Montréal, he has also performed with the Opéra de Québec, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, the Orchestre Métropolitain, the Orchestre philharmonique du Québec, the Orchestre symphonique de Laval, the Montreal Baroque Festival, La Nef, Voxpopuli, Sacré Tympan, Clavecin en concert, Rigoletta, and the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde. Pierre Rancourt has recorded for Centrediscs and ATMA Classique (alongside Trio Hochelaga) and has created several shows, including “Carlos Gardel: Conversation with the King of Tango,” which won the Conseil des arts de Montréal en tournée’s Audience Award in 2019 and was presented in an abridged version as part of a I Musici concert in 2023.
CHANTAL LAMBERT
PRESIDENT
Born in Montreal, soprano Chantal Lambert is the recipient of a unanimously awarded first prize from the Conservatoire de musique du Québec in Montreal. Following an apprenticeship at the Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier lyrique, she took over as director of the program in 1990 and remained at the helm for the next thirty-three years. Chantal Lambert since continues to perform various forms of opera and recitals. She has appeared in sixteen Opéra de Montréal productions, toured with the Orchestre Métropolitain on several occasions, and worked with I Musici and the Montreal Baroque Orchestra, with recitals being her main form of performance since the turn of the century. She is part of the Collectif de la Lune Rouge, contributing to the libretto for “Albertine en cinq temps - the opera”, based on the work of Michel Tremblay, in which she sings the role of Albertine at age 70. Passing on the tradition of the operatic art form has been a pillar of her professional career. Her educational approach is based on a true commitment to the development of human potential. In May 2016, she was inducted into the Canadian Opera Hall of Fame. She was president of the Conseil québécois de la musique (CQM) from 2008 to 2011, and sat on the board of directors of the Association for Opera in Canada (AOC) from 2019 to 2024.
PIERRE LABBÉ
SECRETARY
Saxophonist, flutist, composer, and artistic director of the Sacré Tympan company, Pierre Labbé has performed in Canada, France, the United States, Mexico, and Morocco. Bold and versatile, he plays, improvises, sings, composes, and creates sounds for theater and dance. He has produced some forty pieces of stage music and twelve recordings. Several ensembles and festivals have commissioned works from him, including the Pointe-À-Callière museum, the Quasar saxophone quartet, the Bradyworks ensemble, VivaVoce, the Quatuor Bozzini, the Sixtrum percussion ensemble, and the Montreal OFF Jazz Festival. His company was a finalist in 2015 for the Grand Prix of the Conseil des arts de Montréal.
OLIVIER DELAIRE
TREASURER
The Franco-Chilian tenor Olivier Delaire received a bachelor’s degree in Music from Université de Montréal in 2015. After participating in several operas, concerts, projects, and community initiatives, he found his way back to cultural management and completed a degree in that field at the HEC. Today, he works as assistant manager and accountant.
ARTISTIC TEAM
Chantal Bergeron multi-instrumentalist
Jérémie Domenico tenor
Francis Palma-Pelletier double bassist
Andrew Wells-Oberegger multi-instrumentalist
COLLABORATIVE
TEAM
Marie-Pier Allard website
Sabrina Di Matteo strategic advisor
Dre Patricia Garel clinical advisor
Hélène Panneton website revision
Montserrat Zaefferer communications
OUR PARTNERS
THANK YOU
TO OUR SPONSORS
We would like to express our deep gratitude to our valuable sponsors and private donors. Your generosity and unwavering support are crucial to the realization of our mission. Each contribution, no matter the size, brings us closer to our goals. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your invaluable support.
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