Bernard Labadie

Bernard Labadie is one of North America's leading conductors, best known for his work in Baroque and Classic repertory. Labadie, a Canadian, is the founder of two ensembles specializing in that repertory, Les Violons du Roy (1984) and La Chapelle de Québec (1985). With these groups he has made a number of tours of Canada, the U.S., and Europe and recorded over a dozen discs, mostly for the American label Dorian. On these tours with Les Violons du Roy, he has visited major venues such as Lincoln Center in New York and Symphony Hall in Chicago. In addition, Labadie was artistic and musical director of l'Opéra de Québec from 1994 to 2003. As such he conducts a more standard repertory. He has led the company in, among other operas, Ambroise Thomas' Mignon; Verdi's Nabucco and Traviata; Mozart's Così fan tutte, Le Nozze di Figaro, and Die Zauberflöte; Rossini's Cenerentola and L'Italiana in Algeri; Puccini's Madame Butterfly and Tosca; Donizetti's Don Pasquale; and Bellini's Norma. He was appointed artistic director of l'Opéra de Montréal, beginning in the 2003-2004 season. He made his New York Metropolitan Opera debut in 2009, with Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. He has guest conducted many major orchestras of Canada (Québec Symphony, Montréal Symphony, Nova Scotia Symphony, the CBC Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Ottawa, the CBC Vancouver Chamber Orchestra, and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra) and the United States (the Handel & Haydn Society of Boston, the New York City Ballet, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra) as well as the Nihon Shinsei of Tokyo and the Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia and Belgium. However, by the end of the 21st century's first decade, Labadie had begun guest conducting more widely-known ensembles such as the Cleveland Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the Academy of Ancient Music.