At a time when major music institutions are being called upon to broaden their audiences, renew their narratives and reposition their place within a changing international landscape, the orchestral model is also evolving.
In this month’s column, Gilles Doré, Executive Director of CINARS, speaks with Rafael Payare, Music Director of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM), who advocates a vision that brings together artistic excellence, openness, a broad range of repertoire and international reach. This approach resonates with the spirit of this year’s edition of the CINARS Biennale, where music stands as a central focus.
How do you approach the challenge of diversifying audiences while maintaining artistic excellence and depth?
With an orchestra like the OSM, excellence is not only a goal; it is also a way of inviting people in. When something is played with conviction, depth and care, it has the power to resonate far beyond expectations.
In recent years, we have been thinking carefully about how to open more doors through different formats, more flexible concert experiences, and programmes that can meet audiences where they are. Shorter concerts, evenings that extend into something more social, or programmes built around familiar cultural references are all part of this.
But for me, the essence remains unchanged. I truly believe that music is a right, not a privilege. And the way we honour that is not by simplifying it, but by presenting it honestly, at the highest level, trusting that its depth is precisely what allows it to connect.
We have seen a real response from younger audiences, which is encouraging. At the same time, we are very careful not to create a false expectation of what a concert is. The depth, the time, the journey – these are essential. Opening the door should never mean changing what is inside.
In a context where cultural institutions are increasingly expected to take social and political positions, what role should an orchestra play? Is neutrality still possible, or even desirable?
Music exists in the world, and the world is never neutral. Many of the works we perform carry within them deep historical, political and human tensions.
And yet, music also offers something unique: it creates a space where those tensions can be held, transformed, or simply contemplated. A moment where we can step back, reflect and perhaps reconnect with something more essential.
Our responsibility is to honour both dimensions: to understand and acknowledge the context of the music, while also allowing it the freedom to speak beyond it.
The global classical music ecosystem has long been shaped by European traditions and narratives. Do you see a meaningful shift towards a more plural and inclusive field, or does the centre of gravity remain largely unchanged?
The great pillars of the repertoire are still there. They are part of the foundation of what we do, and they continue to speak to us in profound ways. At the same time, it feels natural – necessary, even – to broaden the space around them, to allow other voices, other perspectives, and other stories to be heard alongside them.
At the OSM, this happens in a very organic way. Our collaboration with the Peruvian composer Jimmy López as Composer-in-Residence is one example, as is our ongoing focus on composers from across the Americas.
What interests me most is not contrast, but dialogue. When a work by Mahler exists in the same space as a contemporary voice, or when Indigenous works are presented alongside the symphonic canon, something opens. The repertoire becomes less fixed, more alive and more reflective of the world we live in.
You will soon be performing in Edinburgh, a city with a strong international festival culture. How do these global stages influence the way orchestras position themselves today, both artistically and strategically?
Touring is a very special moment in the life of an orchestra. It is both a reflection of who we are, and a way of discovering how that identity resonates elsewhere.
The OSM carries with it a strong international presence, shaped in part by its recording legacy. But every appearance on a global stage is also a renewal – a chance to redefine how we are heard and understood.
The Edinburgh International Festival offers exactly that kind of space. It allows us to bring our voice into a wider conversation, while also building connections that will continue beyond the performance itself.
There is also something particularly meaningful in the repertoire we bring. Presenting Coleridge-Taylor’s The Song of Hiawatha, alongside works by Indigenous Canadian composers performed by Indigenous artists, creates a dialogue across time, cultures and histories – one that feels both respectful and forward-looking.
Innovation is sometimes perceived as a risk in a tradition-based field. How can institutions embrace experimentation while preserving the integrity of the repertoire?
I don’t see innovation and tradition as opposing forces. If anything, they depend on each other.
The works we now consider part of the “tradition” were, at their birth, acts of bold imagination. They challenged expectations, expanded language and redefined what was possible. In that sense, to support new creation is not to move away from tradition, but to remain faithful to its spirit.
Our role is to keep that movement alive – to remain curious, open and willing to take artistic risks. Because this music is not something fixed in the past. It is something that continues to unfold.
