With the support of over 200 backers, the funding raised over 20,000 $ to help financing my musical project about the work of Saint-Exupéry. The crowd funding used the Kickstarter platform but also cheques and some cash. I am deeply touched by the amount of people that showed enough interest in my musical project to back me up.
Now here is the next step : the album production. here is a video excerpt of Saint-Exupéry : de cœur, de sable et d’étoiles taken from the recording session. The Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by Mæstro Petr Vronsky.
The album release is expected at mid May. This is an important step toward the creation of an hommage concert for Saint-Exupéry.
Here is the smal interview produced by Tracy Britnell as a TSN / CTV production.
Eric Radford is explaining the origin of his music Tribute written for the short program aiming for the Sotchi Olympic Games with his partner Meegan Duhamel. We see some of the work done in the studio La Majeure in Montreal in the summer of 2013. Also some footage with Julie Marcotte their choregrapher.
I had the privilege to produce, orchestrate and conduct the recording session.
The Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil provided the musicians.
L’Orchestre symphonique de l’Estuaire (OSE) has issued a press release announcing the world premiere of my most recent composition, entitled L’Indécis (The Undecided). The concert will take place at Salle Desjardins-Telus in Rimouski this coming November 2.
I composed this concerto for trumpets and one soloist for trumpeter Frédéric Demers. Mr. Demers will be performing as an invited soloist under the direction of OSE conductor Luc Chaput. I would like to express my thanks to Mr. Chaput for including this work on the evening’s program.
L’Indécis is a unique work in that the soloist uses six different trumpets. The title of the piece points to the difficult choices the performer must make in choosing amongst the six. Having been a trumpeter for a good part of my career, I drew on my own experience in imagining this performer constantly pulled in different musical directions by his instruments.
“The Trumpeter has all the symptoms of multiple-personality disorder. It’s a known phenomenon affecting most trumpeters: he plays different instruments and each one highlights a separate aspect of his personality and sensibility. But he does not know who he really is. So he decides to consult a psychologist!”
My concerto for trumpets and one soloist is now finished.
The title, L’Indécis, is influenced by the dilemma of a trumpetist facing the challenge to play six different trumpets : trumpet in Bb, cornet in Bb, flugelhorn in Bb, slide trumpet in Bb, piccolo trumpet in A and a natural trumpet in Db.
Laval, August 30, 2012 – For twelve magical days and nights, August 2 – 14, audiences attending Festival Eurochestries Charente Maritime (in French) concerts in southwest France warmly applauded Laval composer Louis Babin and the Laval Youth String Orchestra (OCJL) directed by Manon Reddy. This summer the Eurochestries festival series took place in four countries – a remarkable cultural and musical exchange that brought together more than 300 young musicians, ages 15 to 25, from several European nations and Quebec. The Festival Eurochestries Charente Maritime shone the spotlight on the creativity and professionalism of our talented Laval musicians.
At performances August 12 and 13, more than 1,300 music lovers offered up standing ovations for the world premiere of a symphonic work entitled Saint-Exupery: de cœur, de sable et d’étoiles composed and directed by Louis Babin. An article (in French) in the regional newspaper Sud-Ouest describes the welcome the public accorded this work and lauds “…a moment of emotion, tenderness, a superb creation in three movements – Vol de vie, Les Adieux au Petit Prince and La Marche des Hommes.” A video on the composing of the work is also available on the internet.
The Laval Youth String Orchestra delighted the public during several concerts performed across the Charente Maritime region. A glimpse of their universally enthusiastic reception is reported in this review of their performance at Aunis on August 4. Directed by Manon Reddy, the OCJL presented a program of various works, including Les Beautés du diable by François Dompierre, Les Quatre Saisons by Piazzolla, Concerto en ré mineur by Vivaldi, and Les Variations rococo by Tchaïkovski. The young musicians and their leader came home enchanted by the experience. They are all hoping for an encore appearance at the next Festival Eurochestries.
Louis Babin acknowledge the financial support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec for the traveling fees.
Manon Reddy, Orchestre à cordes des jeunes de Laval Vasili Vasitov, Orchestre à cordes des jeunes de Moscou Louis Babin, compositeur Orhun Orhon, Orchestre national symphonique des jeunes de TurquieLouis Babin conducting the World Premiere of Saint-Exupéry : de cœur, de sable et d’étoiles Photo Y/C Clochon
