Benjamin Deschamps and the Mistral Ensemble: Astor’s Universe
Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Astor Piazzolla in this musical and narrative concert combining tango, jazz, classical music, and klezmer. From New York to Buenos Aires, this concert offers a stirring portrait of the well-known Argentinian composer, peppered with fascinating anecdotes. Performed by Mistral, an ensemble with a wide range of influences, this unique musical journey features an eclectic mix of violin, saxophone, flute, clarinet, guitar, and double bass.
ARTISTS:
Benjamin Deschamps, soprano and tenor saxophone, clarinet, and flute
Nadia Monczak, violin
Hugo Larenas, guitar
Émilou Johnson, double bass
A preview of the repertoire*
Astor PIAZZOLLA (1921–1992)
Adiós Nonino
Libertango
George GERSHWIN (1898–1937)
Rhapsody in Blue
Naftule BRANDWEID (1884–1963)
Der Heyser Bulgar
BIOGRAPHIES
Benjamin Deschamps, soprano and tenor saxophone, clarinet, and flute
Benjamin Deschamps is a versatile, Montreal-based musician who is well respected as a saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, and teacher. Awarded the Grand Prix du Festi Jazz de Rimouski in 2013, he was named the 2017–2018 Révélation Radio-Canada en Jazz, then received the Grand Prix TD at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal in 2019. His fourth album, Augmented Reality (2021), won Jazz Album of the Year at the 2023 Opus Awards gala.
He has released five albums and has presented his music in Canada, the United States, France, Belgium, and Germany. He has also toured in over 20 countries, collaborating with artists such as Jacques Kuba Séguin, Rachel Therrien, the Orchestre national de jazz de Montréal, and Jean-Michel Blais. He has also participated in pop and stage productions such as Beautiful: The Music of Carole King, Forever Gentlemen, and Chicago.
He holds a master’s degree in jazz performance from McGill University, where he teaches arranging, and is also a saxophone teacher at Cégep Marie-Victorin. He is also General and Artistic Director of Aléa musique, an organization dedicated to the creation, production, and distribution of original music.
Nadia Monczak, violin
Nadia Monczak is a Canadian violinist and violist of Polish origin. She has performed as a recitalist and chamber musician in nearly 30 countries worldwide, in such renowned venues as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall and Het Concertgebouw. As a soloist with orchestras, she has performed with the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Franfkurt Oder and the Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra “Amadeus.” She has been a member of numerous chamber music groups over the years, ranging from classical to tango, French chanson, minimalist music, and klezmer. On the orchestral scene, she has performed with ensembles in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, the USA, and Canada. A member of the 2021 Global Leaders Program, Nadia has led numerous social and humanitarian initiatives, including coaching El Sistema orchestras in South America, teaching violin in refugee camps in Greece and at Encore! Sistema in Quebec, and organizing numerous benefit concerts. Two short documentaries on her work have been produced by CBC Arts.
A graduate of the Université de Montréal and the Maastricht Conservatorium, her teachers included Vladimir Landsman, Boris Belkin, and Zakhar Bron. She currently plays a Francesco Gobetti violin (c. 1772) and a Charles Nicolas bow (c. 1890), generously loaned by the Canimex Company of Drummondville, Quebec.
Hugo Larenas, guitar
Born in Montreal to Chilean parents, Hugo Larenas is a performer, arranger, composer, and guitar teacher at Cégep de Lanaudière and Collège Stanislas. He began studying guitar at the age of eight. He holds a master’s degree in performance from the Université de Montréal under the tutelage of Peter McCutcheon.
He has also had the opportunity to perfect his skills with great guitar masters such as Roland Dyens, Alvaro Pierri, Ricardo Cobo, Fabio Zanon, Pepe Romero, and Sergio Assad during intensive seminars at the Académie musicale du Domaine Forget. His musical career has led him to explore many styles, from the folklore of his homeland to rock, flamenco, and classical music. He has distinguished himself on the local and international music scene both as a solo performer and through his contributions to a multitude of musical projects.
His versatility has allowed him to share the stage with Les Frères Diouf, Alejandra Ribera, and Jorane, among others. He is a member of the group Intakto, Color Violeta, the guitar duo Con Fuoco, Willy Rios Ensemble, Impulso Flamenco, the Centre de danse flamenco Julia Cristina, and is working on an ongoing project entitled Los niños son inocentes #1, with Alexandra Templier. More recently, he has collaborated with Nadia Monczak, Benjamin Deschamps, Jean Félix Mailloux, Katarzyna Muzial, Judy Diez-d’Aux,and the Opéra de Montréal. In 2006, he won the first edition of the Grand prix de guitare de Montréal.
Émilou Johnson, double bass
Émilou Johnson is a classically trained double bassist with a master’s degree in performance from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. Active on the professional scene for eight years as a performer, she has distinguished herself as much with orchestras as with jazz and popular groups in Montreal. Her versatility has led her to tour extensively in Quebec and Europe, playing double bass, electric bass, other instruments, and singing, in songwriting projects, acoustic instrumental bands, and electronic music groups.
Johnson is also a composer, and she is involved in multidisciplinary projects as a sound designer for film, dance, theatre, and circus. She has collaborated with Tangente, Cirque Éloize, Carmagnole, and the Phénoména Festival. She currently works with Banitsa, Soleil Launière, Murmurosi, Marcus Lowry, Martin Lizotte, Laura Cadabon, Stompin’ Trees, and Jean-Christophe Lessard.
*JMC reserves the right to modify the repertoire without prior notice.
Photo: Bruno Guérin
