Description

Commemorating the 25th anniversary of one of the worst natural disasters in Quebec’s history while celebrating the courage and collective humanity that emanated from it, the album Ice Storm Symphony (Symphonie de la tempête de verglas) takes the listener into a whirlwind of music by Quebec composer Maxime Goulet. The program features Orchestre classique de Montréal under the direction of Jacques Lacombe performing three of Goulet’s compositions: Fishing Story, What a Day, and the title work.

Ice Storm Symphony evokes various aspects of the January 4, 1998 calamity, inviting listeners to recall some of the more positive outcomes.  Goulet’s underlying mission is to raise awareness of the importance of our ecosystem by addressing the vulnerability of our environment. At the same time, his symphony evokes the hope and light that emerged following the event — empathy, generosity, mutual aid, and even the heroism of the people of Quebec.

Composer Maxime Goulet works in many spheres of musical creation, ranging from symphonic music to video games. His classical music works are regularly performed around the world by prestigious ensembles, including the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre philharmonique Royal de Liège, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He has composed over 30 video game soundtracks, including Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade, and The Amazing Spider-Man. He is also the creator of the Montreal Video Game Symphony, in collaboration with the Orchestre Métropolitain, for the celebrations of the 375th anniversary of the City of Montréal.