To celebrate fifteen years of passion, the H2O harmony orchestra is taking over the Pierre-Denis Sports Hall this Saturday. The formation was created in April 2011 as an association in Toulouse with the aim of promoting original music for wind ensembles. Long considered a “second-rate” musical art form, wind music has experienced a new surge in recent years, thanks to young French, Dutch, and American composers.
The ensemble currently consists of 60 volunteer musicians with a strong musical background and is confirming its local and regional influence. They perform on stages in Toulouse and throughout the greater Southwest. Several conductors have led the group, and currently, Quentin Ferradou, a musician who has been with the ensemble since the beginning, is at the helm. His diverse background includes studying percussion at the Valence-d’Agen music school, playing in the Tarn-et-Garonne wind ensemble, and earning degrees from the conservatories of Toulouse and Montauban before focusing on musical ensemble direction.
To mark this milestone, he presents a program that matches the event: intense, diverse, and focused on excellence. The evening will showcase instruments that are sometimes overlooked. Fabien Dornic, a soloist with the National Orchestra of the Capitole, will reveal the finesse and virtuosity of the bass trombone. Hugo Schmitt’s captivating alto saxophone playing will also captivate the audience. The evening will feature an original creation by Anthony Lezian, a young Toulouse composer. The highlight will undoubtedly be the performance of Modest Moussorgski’s famous “Pictures at an Exhibition,” a monumental work.
