2026–2027 Season at a Glance : 

• Four new productions in Montréal  
• Two European tours (Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Poland)  
• One tour in Western Canada  
• Over 30 premieres (acoustic, electro, improvisation, etc.)  
• Guest artists, masterclasses, workshops, and more  

Montreal, September 10, 2026 — Still driven by its creative fire, the Quasar saxophone quartet unveils its 2026–2027 season, marked by boldness and collaboration. This new season brings together world premieres, international projects, and artistic initiatives designed to reach audiences both here and abroad.

Montréal Season
Montréal audiences will be treated to four innovative artistic proposals exploring various facets of new music, chamber music, vocal music, electroacoustic work, and improvisation.
Highlights include Ondes passerelles (November 27), major appearances in the programming of the Montréal/Nouvelles Musiques Festival (February 19) and La Semaine du Neuf (March 21), as well as a collaboration in contemporary music with Tour de Bras (Rimouski) in April.
Numerous premieres will be featured, including works by Jimmie Leblanc, Thierry Tidrow, James O’Callaghan (Museond Prize 2026), and Métis artist Jesse Plessis. Quasar will share the stage with a wide range of guest artists — piano, voice, santur, strings, ondes Martenot, and more — each enriching the quartet’s sonic palette.

Western Canada Tour
Beginning in September, Quasar travels west for a series of concerts and activities as part of Unfamiliar Trails Coming Together, an initiative of New Music Lethbridge AB.
The quartet will perform at the SALT New Music Festival (Victoria) and in several concerts across Alberta, featuring world premieres by Scott Godin, Jordan Berg, D. Andrew Stewart, Arlan Schultz, and Amy Brandon (Juno Award 2026).

European Tours
Fall 2026 : Quasar embarks on a European tour with concerts in Spain, Germany, and the Czech Republic. In the Basque Country, the quartet performs with Trio Zukan in Beasáin, San Sebastián, and Bilbao as part of Kuraia New Music Encounters. In Germany, performances will take place in Lübeck, Düsseldorf, and Magdeburg for the SinusTon Festival, followed by a concert in Prague (Czech Republic) for the Contempuls Festival.

Spring 2027 : Quasar returns to Spain and Germany and performs for the first time in Poland. The quartet will appear at Frequenz Festival (Kiel), the Krakow Festival of Composers (Kraków), Lange Nacht für Neue Musik (Düsseldorf), Unerhörte Musik (Berlin), and Musikene (Basque Country).

Repertoire and Premieres
The touring repertoire showcases Québec and Canadian music, including works by José Evangelista, James O’Callaghan, Émilie Girard-Charest, Amy Brandon, and Florence Tremblay. Several festivals have also commissioned new works for Quasar, including premieres by Sergej Maingardt (Germany), Zuriñe F. Gerenabarrena (Spain), Katarina Gryvul (Ukraine), Szymon Golec (Poland), and Michal Wróblewski (Czech Republic).

Commitment to Emerging Artists
Major higher‑education music institutions have invited Quasar to give masterclasses and workshops for young composers and performers. These activities will culminate in the creation of several new works written for Quasar by composers from the universities of Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Lübeck, and Musikene (Spain).

2026–2027 Season Dates

September 18, 2026 : Masterclass in Victoria, 5 p.m.  
September 19, 2026 : Wild Truth at Phillip T. Young Recital Hall (University of Victoria), 7:30 p.m.  
September 22, 2026 : Bach to Zappa at Cité des Prairies (Lethbridge), 1 p.m.  
September 25, 2026 : Unfamiliar Trails in Fort McLeod at Empress Theatre, 7 p.m.  
September 26, 2026 : Unfamiliar Trails in Lethbridge at University of Lethbridge Recital Hall, 7 p.m.  
October 18, 2026 : Ciclo Igartza Musika 2026 – Quasar & Trio Zukan in Beasáin (Spain)  
October 19, 2026 : Kuraia New Music Encounters – Quasar & Trio Zukan in Bilbao (Spain)  
October 21, 2026 : Concert at Musikhochschule Lübeck (Germany)  
October 22, 2026 : Concert in Düsseldorf (Germany)  
October 26, 2026 : Musikene – Quasar & Trio Zukan in San Sebastián (Spain)  
October 30, 2026 : Contempuls Festival (Prague)  
November 1, 2026 : SinusTon Festival in Magdeburg (Germany)  
November 27, 2026 : Ondes passerelles at Espace Orange, Montréal, 7:30 p.m.  
Pre‑concert event : Rencontre Incendiaire (Fiery encounter) at 6:30 p.m.  
February 19, 2027 : Montréal/Nouvelles Musiques Festival  
March 21, 2027 : Semaine du Neuf (collaboration with Le Vivier)  
April 2027 : Collaboration with Tour de Bras (Rimouski)  
May 2027 : European tour (Kraków, San Sebastián, Hanover, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Kiel)
 

Season partners