Mission
The OSJM gives young talented musicians a rich orchestral experience, with professional educational supervision, through events and quality concerts accessible to a large audience.
History
Founded in 1976 by Sandra Wilson CM, L.Mus., the Orchestra has contributed to the musical training of nearly 2,500 musicians. Many of our alumni are now members of Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, the Orchestre Métropolitain, Les Violons du Roy, or other orchestras elsewhere in Canada, the United States or Europe, or are pursuing careers as soloists or chamber musicians.
The OSJM has been led by three musical directors: Jacques Clément, Mario Duschesnes and Louis Lavigueur. Appointed in 1986, Louis Lavigueur has put his pedagogical skills to make the OSJM one of the finest youth orchestras in Canada.
Since its creation, in order to fulfill its educational mission with the next generation of young musicians, the OSJM has presented three concerts each year in its regular series, as well as a number of special concerts with guest choirs and soloists. The Orchestra has given over 400 concerts, premiered a dozen works by Quebec composers, and recorded over 50 albums. On the international scene, the OSJM has toured extensively throughout Canada, Europe, Asia and the United States, and has taken part in some twenty festivals in Quebec and Europe. In the summer of 2023, 47 musicians of the Orchestra will fly to France to take part at the Eurochestries Festival in Charente-Maritime (France).
Through the number and quality of its activities, the OSJM has proven its relevance in the Montreal music scene over the years.
