Introducing: Chantal Poulin and Shira Gilbert

(Shira Gilbert) I joined the CMIM exactly two years ago, and Chantal and I instantly got along extremely well. I soon had the opportunity to take on more responsibility too: working with the preliminary and international juries, with the orchestra, with our partners, and also envisioning new aspects of the upcoming competitions. As a duo, we truly complement each other´s strengths. I´m stronger in English, Chantal is stronger in French. I have more experience in the international realm, she has more experience across Quebec. We´re thrilled that the Board, after going through quite a lengthy process, came to the conclusion that, together, we were the right choice to carry forward the leadership of the Concours.

WFIMC: Already during Christiane´s term, CMIM began a lot of research into the disciplines you present in Montreal, and also the rotation and competition cycles. Should it be an annual competition? Should there be more time in between? Should there be only one discipline? Many questions were discussed, many issues were thought about. What is your stance on that, and what can we expect from Montreal in the coming years?

Chantal Poulin: At the moment, taking care of and giving more support to our laureates is one of the most important elements for us. Otherwise, we have been taking time to reflect and carefully evaluate all the possible scenarios and how the Concours can most successfully evolve in the future. Three rotating disciplines in three years is wonderful, but also very demanding. As you know, we have a particular interest in voice, a very important discipline in Canada. Important because of the quality of the professors, the training, and because of the great voices we have in this country who are renowned internationally. So, this is an avenue we are exploring further. We also created an artistic committee to help us evaluate and come to the decisions we must make. 

Shira Gilbert: It’s true that our strategic planning process is still ongoing. Give us a few more months and we´ll be able to answer all your questions! In the meantime, we have just experienced an incredible Violin edition last May, and we´re of course busy preparing Piano 2024. We always have an extremely high level of candidates, and we have some new initiatives this year, so we´re really looking forward to this spring.

WFIMC:  Still it would be interesting to hear your personal stance, because you're both saying that voice is really the main discipline in Montreal, and the question is whether or not to focus only on voice in the future. Now you had violin, which was very well received, I believe. Next you're going again for piano, not for voice. Why is that? Are you behind that decision? Do you approve of this decision or would you have done differently?

Chantal Poulin: It´s quite easy: for over 20 years, there has been a three-year cycle with three disciplines. We had not yet officially been appointed as Directors when the decision had to be made for 2024, so it made sense to complete the cycle before embarking upon a new format and deciding how the competition will evolve in the future.

Shira Gilbert: Also keep in mind that our last piano edition, in 2021, was online. We´ve not had a live piano competition in Montreal since 2017, and we knew that there were people really looking forward to it. There were potential candidates who had already been preparing, and we felt it was an important thing for our community and supporters as well.

WFIMC: Still, as a voice competition, you are pretty much the only major player in all of North America, whereas as a piano competition, you have to compete with countless others like the Cliburn, Honens, Olga Kern, Gurwitz and many others. If I am a pianist, why should I participate in your 2024 competition?

Shira Gilbert: Well, we certainly have fantastic prizes, and we offer an exceptional environment. We have heard again and again from our candidates that they have never experienced such a warm and supportive competition as they have here in Montreal. Then, there is the quality of our hall and partners. During the first and second rounds, our pianists perform at the beautiful Salle Bourgie and the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. For the first time, there will be a chamber music round. And the finalists will have the extraordinary opportunity to perform with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal and Guest Conductor Xian Zhang.

Another initiative that we want to put in place starting this year is the opportunity for everyone to perform their semifinal program elsewhere in Montreal, even if they don't advance. We're working with new partners around the city to present these recitals.

WFIMC: That´s a beautiful idea.

Chantal Poulin: We feel that it is important to make classical music and our pianists even more accessible. It’s a win for everyone. It´s important for all the candidates to have the opportunity to play the program they have prepared, and it´s great for more of the public in Quebec to be able to hear them.

WFIMC: What will you offer for the laureates in terms of career support?

Shira Gilbert: Career support is something we want to be able to spend more time on in the future in terms of securing more engagements and bringing our laureates back to Montreal more often. However, we´ve had the incredible support of the Joseph Rouleau Career Development Grant, which is provided by the Azrieli Foundation- a $50,000 career grant. It’s part of my job to work with our first prize-winner on how to best spend that money - whether it’s for publicity, websites, meetings, or travel: it´s been an incredible support for our artists and makes the competition very attractive for young artists.

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CHANTAL POULIN 
Active in the cultural world for 20 years, Chantal Poulin is recognized for her versatility, tireless en- ergy, and contagious enthusiasm. A sought-after freelancer and consultant, she has put her skills and expertise to work in management, production, finance, and communications for a variety of Quebec artists, ensembles, and foundations, including L'Harmonie des saisons, Trio Hochelaga, Fondation des artistes, and many other classical music organizations. She particularly excels in the meticulous management of 360-degree projects and large-scale events. Chantal joined the Con- cours musical international de Montréal team in 2019, where she has successively held various responsibilities in communications, logistics, and production, before joining the general management team in August 2021. Chantal Poulin studied at the Université du Québec à Montréal where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in History, followed by a Master of Arts. Chantal also studied oboe with Lise Beauchamp at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. 

SHIRA GILBERT 
Shira Gilbert arrived at the CMIM in the fall of 2021 with an international reputation for her expertise in the classical milieu and as a passionate champion for musicians at all stages of their careers. As a communications consultant, Shira worked with numerous musicians and presenters including the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Azrieli Music Prizes, cellist Matt Haimovitz, the Festival de musique de chambre de Montréal, Sir James Galway, and China’s NCPA Orchestra, to name only a few. As Publicity Manager for Universal Classics Group (Deutsche Grammophon and Decca) in New York City, Shira worked closely with many of the world’s most prestigious artists, such as Renée Fleming, Cecilia Bartoli, and Hilary Hahn, and on the early recording careers of Lang Lang and Anna Netrebko, among many others. She has also promoted the renowned recital series at New York’s 92nd Street Y and worked on a diverse roster of projects in theatre, opera, and new music for FLIP Publicity in Toronto. Shira grew up in Ontario and studied voice performance at the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, later making her home in Montreal, where she has deep family roots. 

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