Conductor Andrei Feher Leads Montreal Classical Orchestra
In a rapid succession of personnel shifts, Andrei Feher will be named as the next Music Director of the Orchestre classique de Montréal (OCM) following Adam Johnson's nomination to Laval. The announcement comes just a day after Johnson's Laval appointment.
The upcoming transition at OCM is taking place against a backdrop of turbulence. The chamber orchestra has had a chaotic past few years, marked by the passing of conductor Boris Brott in April 2022 and the contentious dismissal of Jacques Lacombe in July 2024. Strained relationships between Lacombe, the administration, and the board of directors reportedly led to his departure.
Feher, who was handpicked by Paavo Järvi at age 22 as his assistant at the Orchestre de Paris, previously held the position of Music Director of the Orchestre symphonique de Kitchener-Waterloo. His tenure there was cut short by management issues following the pandemic, resulting in a bankruptcy in September 2023.
Feher will assume his role as OCM's Music Director for a four-year term, which coincides with the publication of the orchestra's next season's programming. In an unconventional move, the opening concert of the 2025-2026 season will not be conducted by Feher but by Adam Johnson. The debut concert, titled Mosaic Autochtone, will take place on October 5th at the Maison symphonique, featuring a variety of soloists. Further details about the concert have yet to be disclosed.
Feher's first concert under the OCM banner will be for The Messiah in December, as Jean-Marie Zeitouni conducts the Saveur latine concert in November. Additional debut concerts featuring notable soloists such as Kalena Bovell, Elisabeth St-Gelais, Tara-Louise Montour, and Marie-Josée Lord are scheduled during the season, promising a diverse lineup of performances.
As Feher embarks on this new chapter with the OCM, he brings extensive experience from his prior roles with prestigious orchestras. His tenure as Guest Conductor with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and his position as Music Director of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra will likely serve him well in his new capacity at OCM.
The OCM's upcoming season, with its theme of "Classical and Eclectic: From Mozart to Piazzolla," promises an exciting array of musical offerings under the leadership of Feher. The season, however, remains a prelude to the full range of Feher's influence on the orchestra, with a more significant impact anticipated during the 2026-2027 season.
Elsewhere, news emerged about Elon Musk's disappointment with former President Trump, his decision to relinquish a government role, and the ongoing lawsuit faced by a former CDPQ executive accused of market manipulation. Additionally, Quebec is appealing a court ruling that allows a child to have more than two legal parents.
In the midst of this shift, conversations surrounding Feher's appointment as Music Director of the Orchestre classique de Montréal (OCM) have intermixed with discussions about Elon Musk's political fallout and a Quebec court ruling, reflecting the complexity of both entertainment and social-media spheres. Within the OCM, the upcoming season offers a blend of classical music and contemporary works in a promise of diversity akin to the varied genres one might find in movies-and-tv offerings.
