The Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil extends the contract of its Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Alexandre Da Costa until 2029!
The Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil is pleased to announce that Alexandre Da Costa, its principal conductor and artistic director since fall 2019, will remain at the helm of the Orchestra until the 2028-2029 season. At the request of the Board of Directors, chaired by Jean-Jacques Rainville, the internationally renowned conductor and violinist has accepted unreservedly a five-year extension of his contract.
“Very dynamic, Alexandre has given the Orchestra a new impetus while positioning it as an essential part of the cultural community. The current health crisis has not slowed down his creativity, his artistic ardour, nor his ability to adapt quickly to an extraordinary and extremely difficult situation. We are delighted to have him on our side for another five seasons. ”
— Jean-Jacques Rainville, Chairman of the Board of Directors.
“With the complicity of the musicians and of the entire Orchestra team, I am delighted to have the opportunity to continue my mission for a long time to come, that of democratizing classical music and making it accessible to the general public. It is even more precious for me in the current crisis where artists are essential to support the population. I trust that somewhere in 2021, when almost everyone is immune, we will be treated to a spectacular outbreak of collective happiness that will be transmitted in some way through our work and our constant dedication!”
— Alexandre Da Costa, Head Chef and Artistic Director.
Endowed with a rich artistic vision, Alexandre Da Costa sees music as an eminently essential good. At a time when Quebec is going through an unprecedented crisis, the Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil and its artistic director have recently carried out a number of highly praised initiatives to support Quebecers. These include the Balcons Symphoniques tour, the conductor’s idea at the very beginning of the pandemic to appease residents of CHSLDs, which finally came to life from Gatineau to Gaspé, or the recording by 25 Quebec personalities of the song Le Blues du Businessman – Les artistes sont essentiels, which reached over one million views on YouTube and Facebook.
In addition, in order to pursue optimal operations and cost management in the current context, and to ensure that effective strategic decisions are made in the short and medium term, Jean-Marc Léveillé will continue to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer for the next two years. The Board of Directors has therefore accepted his resignation as Chairman of the Board of the Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil so that he can concentrate solely on his role as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Jean-Jacques Rainville, a member of the Orchestra’s Board of Directors for the past six years, was unanimously appointed to assume the duties of Chairman of the Board.
The Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil is also very proud to announce two new additions to its Board of Directors: Mr. Michel Vallée, expert in culture with social impact, and Mr. André St-Amand, expert in broadcasting and artistic management.
