Traditionally innovative
FROM TRADITION TO THE AVANT-GARDE
The Nelligan Saxophone Quartet, formed in 1994, has a mandate to introduce the classical and contemporary saxophone to the general public. As a recipient of numerous scholarships (Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec, Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des Arts du Maurier), the Nelligan Quartet has had the opportunity to produce several series of concerts (presented, among others, at the Théâtre La Chapelle, at Laval University and at the Maison des Jeunesses musicales du Canada) and to have gone to Sicily in December 2007 where they gave three concerts in collaboration with the Arcadia Quartet (Italy). During this trip, the Nelligan Quartet was fortunate enough to have premiered and recorded five new works for solo voices, choir and two saxophone quartets, including one composed by Monsignor Giuseppe Liberto, director of the Sistine Chapel Choir in Rome.
In July 2000, the Nelligan Quartet was part of the organizing committee of the 12th World Saxophone Congress in Montreal, in addition to presenting a recital of contemporary music. They subsequently participated in the 16th, 17th, and 18th World Saxophone Congresses in Scotland (2012), France (2015), and Croatia (2018), respectively, and had the honour of showcasing pieces by Canadian composers, some of which were written for the Nelligan Quartet. From 2014 to 2017, the Nelligan Quartet took part in the Encuentro Universitario International de Saxofon de Mexico four times as a foreign guest artist, all with the support of the Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec. In June 2019 the Nelligan Quartet was part of the program of the 3rd Bellas Artes Saxophone Festival in Cali, Colombia.
The Nelligan Quartet has two albums to its credit: a transcript for saxophone quartet of the Art of the Fugueby Johann Sebastian Bach (Oratorio ORCD-4106, INTERDISC DISTRIBUTION INC., 1997) andConsonances modernes (Oratorio ORCD-4116, INTERDISC DISTRIBUTION INC., 2013). This second album was made thanks to the help of Musicaction.
The Nelligan Saxophone Quartet performs as part of various concert series (Alma, Roberval, Gatineau, Chambly, Ste-Thérèse, Lévis, etc.) in cultural centers and in high schools, in addition to producing two concerts per year (fall and spring).
The Nelligan Quartet is an ambassador for Canadian saxophone music while remaining committed to the legacy of the past. Works by major composers such as Bach or Scarlatti are part of their regular repertoire alongside original works for the saxophone, and transcriptions ranging from jazz to musical comedy and popular song. The Nelligan Quartet is invited to Mallorca in March 2020 to present a concert of Canadian music and master classes.