Introducing the music of Katia Makdissi-Warren

The name of composer  Katia Makdissi-Warren might be entirely new to you. She is resident in Quebec but her background mixes the Middle-East and Canada, whilst her music draws in a whole variety of influences. She studied composition in Quebec and in Hamburg, as well as Arabic and Syrian music in Beirut, and her teachers included Ennio Morricone. Now, thanks to the wonders of the inter-web, there is the chance to explore Makdissi-Warren's music. 

On 17 June 2021, the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ) concludes its hybrid season (concerts with audience and live stream) with the Dialogues at the Cocathédrale Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue in Longueuil, Canada. The concert is live in the church but will also be live-streamed, and for those who cannot cope with the time differences, the concert is available on catch-up for six months.

The concert presents music for flute, harp and voice by Makdissi-Warren, Caroline Lizotte and Marc Hyland. the organisers describe it thus, 'Navigating between the written and the improvised, Dialogues leads listeners into a complex and mysterious sound universe, where the modern flute is imbued with the colours of the nay (a reed flute played in Arab, Turkish and Persian music), bringing together a dozen musicians in a skilful blend of western and eastern influences '

The music will include six works by Makdissi-Warren, Dialogue du silence (2003), Jetstream (2007), Ô Virtus (2018), Chants du prophète (2012, 21), La dame du Nil (2011), and the premiere of Dialogue de l'écho (2003, 2021) performed by Marie-Hélène Breault, artistic director, arrangements, flutes ; Guy Pelletier, flutes; Geneviève Déraspe, flutes; Jeffrey Stonehouse, flutes ; Ghislaine Deschambault, mezzo-soprano; Vincent Ranallo, baritone; Catherine Meunier, percussions ; Pamela Reimer, piano ; Antoine Malette-Chénier, harp.

The concert's artistic director Marie-Hélène Breault has been working with the composer for 15 years, and describes Makdissi-Warren's music has having a dialogue between cultures, so that several pieces on the programme are inspired by taqasim, a form of improvisation found in Arab music.

The concert is free, full details from the SMCQ website.