French Kitsch

Carl Matthieu Neher, piano
Cécile Muhire, soprano

France, early 20th century. In the intimate and muted atmosphere of a Parisian salon, discover a city in the middle of an artistic transformation. In a lighthearted exchange with the audience, this duo performs quirky, sometimes kitschy, pieces with the sweet melodies of the cabaret. From Hahn to Satie, from Fauré to Debussy, be transported to the most colourful period in Paris, the Belle Époque!

Biographies 

Cécile Muhire

A graduate of the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, Cécile Muhire is currently pursuing training with soprano Monique Pagé at the Université de Montréal. With a scholarship from the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation, she made her debut at the Opéra de Montréal in the role of the Strawberry Woman (Porgy and Bess) before beginning two consecutive years as a member of the Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier lyrique.

Among her many collaborations, she has worked with maestros Jordan de Souza, Jean-Marie Zeitouni and Mathieu Lussier. Cécile also participated in the voice edition of the Montreal International Musical Competition as a quarter-finalist (2018). She also stood out at the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques program, where she won the Jeune Espoir Lyrique Canadien scholarship,
intended to cover costs for auditions throughout Europe.

For four years now, Cécile has been working under the banner of Jeunesses Musicales Canada and has been involved in several projects, including Opera Candy, a young audience show of her own creation, in which she plays the role of Gretel.

This season, the Quebec soprano will join the MSO in the young audience concert Joue-moi une poésie. She will also have the pleasure of taking part in Pacific Opera Victoria’s production of Don Giovanni, in which she will play the role of Zerlina for a second time.

Carl Matthieu Neher

Carl Matthieu Neher began his studies at the Conservatoire de musique de Gatineau at 12 years old. He continued his performance studies up to a post-graduate degree at the Conservatoire de Montréal, where he studied for five years under André Laplante.

After graduating in 2014, he performed as a soloist in Quebec with ensembles such as the Orchestre symphonique de Drummondville, Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil and Orchestre de la Francophonie. He gave recitals for the Société Pro Musica at Place des Arts as well as at the Maison des arts Desjardins de Drummondville, Les Concerts Ponticello in Gatineau and La Belle Chapelle in Sherbrooke.

As a collaborative pianist and organist, he has performed on many stages, including for Jeunesses Musicales Canada.

In 2017, after a few excursions into the world of theatre, he and three partners founded the Tôle collective, a multidisciplinary artist collective that creates live art shows.

As of September 2021, Carl Matthieu is professor of piano at the Conservatoire de musique de Val-d’Or.