Marianne Trudel's orchestral jazz suite Sources premieres at Parc La Fontaine tonight
The Opus Prize-winning composer performs her seven-movement work with the Orchestre national de jazz, inspired by water's states and environmental crisis.
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Montréal composer and pianist Marianne Trudel unveils the first full concert performance of her seven-movement suite "Sources" tonight at the Théâtre de Verdure in Parc La Fontaine, accompanied by the Orchestre national de jazz and her trio, Trifolia.
The premiere marks the opening concert of a tour commissioned by the Conseil des arts de Montréal. Trudel, who won the Opus Prize for Compositrice de l'année in February 2025, described the work as falling outside conventional categories: "neither music for ensemble à cordes, nor for a trio, nor jazz, nor baroque — we fall into something else... like plunging into water."
The metaphor is fitting. "Sources" explores water in all its states — ice, rivers, oceans, and potable water access — reflecting what Trudel calls a preoccupation that "haunts" her: climate change. The second movement, "Glace polaire," directly addresses polar ice. A third, "Du fleuve à la mer," captures the current's passion. Another, "L'or bleu," draws from the global crisis around drinking water access. Each movement contrasts sharply with the last, allowing the ensemble and Trudel's trio — featuring drummer Patrick Graham and bassist Étienne Lafrance — to meet differently.
Conductor Jean-Nicolas Trottier leads roughly fifteen orchestra members. The piece was originally commissioned a decade ago by the ensemble Les Violons du Roy, and Trudel composed it specifically for that group's baroque-leaning sonority, drawing inspiration from their colour without referencing baroque masters directly. "I like composing for specific musicians," she said, citing Duke Ellington's approach. "These musicians become part of my inspiration without knowing it."
Trudel acknowledged the inherent risk: "Each performance will have its share of risk, which makes it exciting." The Théâtre de Verdure's waterside setting — a broad stream separates the stage from the audience — adds an unexpected resonance to a work so steeped in fluid metaphor.
