The Orchestre classique de Montréal (OCM) was founded in 1939 by violinist, conductor, and composer Alexander Brott, and cellist and manager Lotte Brott. Previously named the McGill Chamber Orchestra, the OCM quickly became one of Canada’s most established chamber orchestras, touring five continents, recording extensively, and appearing regularly on radio and television. Boris Brott, the elder son of Alexander and one of Canada’s most internationally renowned conductors, led the OCM from 2000 until his death in April 2022. The OCM, a vibrant, innovative, and flexible ensemble consisting of the city’s best professional musicians, presents concerts throughout the year and records on labels such as ATMA Classique, Analekta, and Radio-Canada.

The repertoire the orchestra presents is often an eclectic mix ranging from the classics to the contemporary where the OCM has presented hundreds of world premieres by Canadian, Quebec and Indigenous composers such as Maxime Goulet, Barbara Assiginaak, Pierre Mercure, Claude Champagne, Jacques Hétu, Larysa Kuzmenko, Carmen Braden, Jaap Nico Hamburger, Alcides Lanza, Kevork Andonian, Jean Vallerand, Walter Boudreau, Nicole Lizée and many others. Fulfilling its mission of celebrating diversity and inclusivity, the OCM runs a program called Music for Everyone which enables collaborations with numerous new immigrant communities and Montréal organizations in making OCM’s performances accessible to all.