Bourgie Hall: Music at Heart

BOURGIE
HALL
MUSIC AT HEART

Cover
Bourgie Hall, interior view
Photo: Julia Marois
Bourgie Hall and the Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion
of Quebec and Canadian Art of the MMFA
Photo: Paul Boisvert

SUMMARY
4.
BOURGIE HALL
AT A GLANCE
6.
ARTISTIC VISION AND
MUSICAL PROGRAMMING
12.
RENOWNED PERFORMERS
AT BOURGIE HALL
14.
INSTRUMENT COLLECTION
18.
EXCEPTIONAL TIFFANY
WINDOWS
20.
HISTORY OF THE HALL
30.
SEATING PLAN
Texts: Claudine Jacques
Project coordinators: Claudine Jacques and Coralie Baudet
Bourgie Hall directors: Caroline Louis and Olivier Godin
Texts revisions: François Zeitouni, Claude Nadon and Trevor Hoy
Translation: Le trait juste
Graphic design: Corinne Bève

4
BOURGIE HALL
BOURGIE HALL
AT A GLANCE
Bourgie Hall, interior view
Photo: Julia Marois

Music At Heart
5
Inaugurated in
September 2011
465-seat capacity
divided between orchestra
and balcony levels
Located in the heart
of one of Canada’s most
culturally and artistically
dynamic cosmopolitan cities
Conceived and
designed for solo
recitals and chamber
music
Outstanding acoustics
for voice as well as for instruments
Develops a varied
and accessible
programming,
offering rich and surprising
encounters to a wide range of
audiences
Builds bridges
with the visual arts
in conjunction with the Montreal
Museum of Fine Arts
Presents over
100 concerts annually
Is home to the largest
collection of religious
Tiffany stained-glass
windows in Canada
Highlights a unique
collection of valuable
keyboard instruments
Features a wide variety
of musical genres:
classical music from all eras, jazz,
music of global cultures, crossover
performances between various art
forms, as well as concerts for youth
audiences
Provides the public
with a high-quality
cultural offer at
affordable prices

6
BOURGIE HALL
ARTISTIC VISION
AND MUSICAL
PROGRAMMING
A key venue on the Quebec
music scene
Since its opening, Bourgie Hall has enjoyed exceptional
beginnings and revolutionized the concert scene in the city
by offering the public outstanding performances. It was
initially expected that some thirty concerts per year would be
presented, but the venue’s qualities quickly made it one of the
most sought-after halls in Quebec: today, it hosts almost 200
events each season. Bourgie Hall is known for the diversity
of musical genres it presents, and the quality and originality
of its programming—designed for both seasoned and new
music lovers. Combined with its close ties with the Museum’s
exhibitions and collections, the support and opportunities it
provides to young performers, and the creation of new music,
it has established itself as one of Canada’s most important
concert music presenters.
Due to its intimate atmosphere, its size perfectly suited to
recitals and chamber music, and its exceptional acoustics, the
hall is an ideal venue for soloists, small ensembles, and chamber
orchestras. For its jazz and world music concerts, the hall also
boasts a state-of-the-art sound system.
The Tallis Scholars
December 13, 2022
Photo: Claudine Jacques

Music At Heart
7
“When Bourgie Hall opened its doors in 2011,
we did not yet guess how much it
would change musical life in Montreal.(...)
We could no longer imagine Montreal
without Bourgie Hall.”
CAROLINE RODGERS, LUDWIG VAN MONTRÉAL

8
BOURGIE HALL
The Arte Musica
Foundation
Diversity, Excellence
and Accessibility
The Arte Musica Foundation, established
in September 2007 by philanthropist and
businessman Pierre Bourgie, has the mission to
organize and present musical activities within
the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA),
specifically in Bourgie Hall. Programming
follows three main axes: the production and
presentation of concerts, the support to
promising young artists and the development
of audiences through educational and
mediation activities. It draws its inspiration
from the various art forms present at the
MMFA, relaying the encyclopaedic world that
it contains. Surprising encounters, as well as
links nurtured with other artistic disciplines
such as literature, the visual arts, dance, and
film have been an integral part of Bourgie Hall’s
programming since its opening. This has made
it possible to present an innovative and unique
programming to the public, sometimes in the
exhibition rooms themselves. In fact, several
musical activities had already taken place
in situ a few years before Bourgie Hall was
inaugurated.
Since its opening, the hall has relied on
a varied and audacious programming of
exceptional artistic quality, quickly forging its
own distinctive personality and developing
a compelling branding. The concerts offered
cover many centuries of music, enabling
music lovers to enjoy a great variety of musical
trends.
The quest for excellence has always guided
programming choices at Bourgie Hall. Whether
rising stars or firmly established and critically
acclaimed musicians, they are selected by
Bourgie Hall on the basis of their immense
talent. Its programming comprises 50 % of
Canadian artists and 50 % of international
artists: thus today, almost the entire Montreal
and Quebec musical milieu is linked in one
way or another to the activities taking place at
Bourgie Hall. The venue has had a considerable
impact on the musical scene in Montreal,
Quebec and Canada, as well as on the careers
of many artists.
Offering affordable concerts to a large number
of listeners from diverse backgrounds, enabling
them to enjoy the venue’s musical offerings is a
priority for Bourgie Hall’s directors. Well-rooted
in its community through accessibility and
educational programmes, it has established
numerous partnerships with various cultural
organizations and social groups, thus ensuring
that Bourgie Hall remains accessible to all.
Djely Tapa, voice
2022-2023 season launch, May 3, 2022
Photo: Frédéric Faddoul

9

10
BOURGIE HALL
Prestigious Partners
Daring Projects
Bourgie Hall works with a vast network of
recognized artistic partners, both from
Quebec and Canada as well as internationally,
to diversify its collaborations. It joins forces
with the Palazzetto Bru Zane, Musicians
from Marlboro, the Queen Elisabeth Music
Chapel (Belgium), the Royaumont Foundation,
Koerner Hall of the Royal Conservatory of
Music in Toronto, Early Music Vancouver, the
Club musical de Québec, the Festival Bach
Montréal, the International Festival of Films
on Art (Le FIFA), the Orchestre symphonique
de Montréal, the Orchestre Métropolitain, and
the Festival international de la littérature (FIL),
among many other productive collaborations.
Bourgie Hall hosts the annual Opus Awards
Gala organized by the Conseil québécois de
la musique, an important event that brings
together key players in the music industry
and rewards musical excellence in Quebec.
Furthermore, since its opening in 2011,
Bourgie Hall has welcomed the Concours
musical international de Montréal every year.
This renowned event, which showcases some
of the world’s most talented young artists
in voice, violin and piano, has proven to be
a veritable stepping stone for many highly
talented performers. For some, including
Charles Richard-Hamelin, Philippe Sly and
Beatrice Rana, the competition proved to
be the beginning of a brilliant international
career.
Many inspiring projects have emerged over
the years. They include the performance in
concert of all of J.S. Bach’s over 200 sacred
cantatas, in 77 concerts spread over eight
seasons between September 2014 and March
2023. A first in Canada, this multi-year project
was a formidable adventure as well as an
exceptional showcase for Montreal, reflecting
its status as a musical metropolis. Involving
numerous acclaimed artists and ensembles
from the Quebec and international musical
communities, these concerts featured 33
musical ensembles (22 from Quebec, one
Canadian, four American and six European)
and four professional choirs, as well as 158
vocal and instrumental soloists and 321
instrumentalists, under the direction of 29
conductors from here and abroad. Other
large-scale projects include the performance
by Canadian pianist Louis Lortie of Beethoven’s
32 piano sonatas.
Left picture
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal
Conductor: Rafael Payare.
September 25, 2022. Part of the
complete J.S. Bach cantatas cycle.
Photo: Frédéric Faddoul
Right picture
Bourgie Hall lobby
2022-2023 season launch, May 3, 2022.
Photo: Frédéric Faddoul

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Musical Creation
at Bourgie Hall
What are the benefits
for artists?
Already beginning in the 2013–2014 season,
the Arte Musica Foundation established a
new fund for musical creation, enabling music
inspired by a visual work on display in the
Museum to be created in Bourgie Hall, on a
regular basis. Acting, so to speak, as a vessel
for the creation of new works, Bourgie Hall has
initiated several contemporary music creation
projects through commissioned works, thus
allowing the public to hear pieces by both
emerging and established Canadian, Quebec
and international composers, including Elliott
Carter, Maxime McKinley, Nicole Lizée, and
Julien Bilodeau. This initiative strengthens the
ties that bind music to the visual arts, while
offering musical experiences that reflect the
diversity of the MMFA’s collections. In recent
years, Bourgie Hall has commissioned works
by Barbara Assiginaak (Odawa First Nation),
Luna Pearl Woolf (Canada), Nicole Lizée
(Canada), Ana Sokolovic (Canada/Serbia), and
Adina Izarra (Venezuela), and has presented
several concerts in tribute to Quebec composer
Rachel Laurin.
For artists, performing at Bourgie Hall has
numerous advantages. Musicians appreciate
the human scale of the venue, its conviviality,
its inspiring atmosphere, and the direct
relationship with the audience that it fosters,
generating unforgettable moments of sharing.
A skilled and dynamic team ensures the
success of events taking place in the venue.
The proximity of various services in the city’s
downtown area, as well as numerous cultural
and tourist activities, enhance Bourgie Hall’s
attractiveness.
What about our public?
Montreal audiences make a significant
difference: attentive, interested, fond of
culture and the performing arts, curious and
knowledgeable, they are proud of this hall
where they feel at home. Several audience
members are deeply attached to Bourgie Hall
and return on multiple occasions during the
same season, which confirms the community’s
interest in this unique venue. Because of close
audience-performer proximity, visibility is
optimal throughout the entire hall. In addition,
sound quality is excellent on both the orchestra
and the balcony levels.

12
RENOWNED
PERFORMERS AT
BOURGIE HALL
VIOLIN AND VIOLA
Stéphanie-Marie Degand
James Ehnes
Isabelle Faust
Gidon Kremer
Antoine Tamestit
Andrew Wan
CELLO
Emmanuelle Bertrand
Christophe Coin
Steven Isserlis
Johannes Moser
Jean-Guihen Queyras
Stéphane Tétreault
PIANO
Pascal Amoyel
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet
Michel Béroff
Christian Blackshaw
Yefim Bronfman
Khatia Buniatishvili
Philippe Cassard
Jean-Philippe Collard
David Fray
Marc-André Hamelin
André Laplante
Louis Lortie
Benedetto Lupo
Anne Queffélec
Beatrice Rana
Charles Richard-Hamelin
Alexandre Tharaud
FORTEPIANO AND
HARPSICHORD
Kristian Bezuidenhout
Ronald Brautigam
Jean Rondeau
Andreas Staier
VOICE
Ian Bostridge
Julie Boulianne
Karina Gauvin
Philippe Jaroussky
Marie-Nicole Lemieux
Anne Sofie von Otter
Andreas Scholl
HARP
Xavier de Maistre
Valérie Milot
GUITAR AND MANDOLIN
Avi Avital
Pepe Romero
Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano and
Kristian Bezuidenhout, fortepiano
November 7, 2022
Photo: Claudine Jacques

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Bourgie Hall has attracted some of today’s most outstanding
international artists and ensembles; some have become regular
guests over the years. The following is a list of renowned soloists
who have performed at Bourgie Hall*:
PERCUSSION
Evelyn Glennie
VIOLA DA GAMBA
Jordi Savall
FLUTE AND RECORDER
Emmanuel Pahud
Maurice Steger
CONDUCTORS
Rinaldo Alessandrini
Jonathan Cohen
Reinhard Goebel
Bernard Labadie
Kent Nagano
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Hervé Niquet
Rafael Payare
Christophe Rousset
ENSEMBLES
Camerata RCO (Royal
Concertgebouw Orchestra)
Concerto Italiano
Ensemble Correspondances
Les Talens Lyriques
Les Violons du Roy
London Handel Players
Orchestre Métropolitain
Orchestre symphonique
de Montréal
Orlando Consort
Tafelmusik
The Gesualdo Six
The King’s Singers
The Philip Glass Ensemble
The Tallis Scholars
JAZZ AND MUSIC OF
GLOBAL CULTURES
Kinan Azmeh
Rémi Bolduc
François Bourassa
Lorraine Desmarais
Chet Doxas
Liu Fang
Jacques Kuba Séguin
Ranee Lee
Lúnasa
Charles McPherson
Jean-Michel Pilc
Marc Ribot
Zal Sissokho
Taurey Butler Trio
Stéphane Wrembel
Karen Young
Camerata RCO and
Geoffroy Salvas, baritone
March 28, 2023
Photo: Pierre Langlois
*This is not a comprehensive list.

14
BOURGIE HALL
INSTRUMENT
COLLECTION
1.
Bourgie Hall houses and
maintains a valuable collection
of keyboard instruments,
which are kept in top condition
by experienced technicians.
These instruments are heard
in concert several times a year.
Steinway Pianos
Bourgie Hall houses two
excellent Steinway pianos,
ideal for recitals.
Steinway Model D:
9-foot Concert Grand Piano
(2.74 m)
for performances.
Steinway Model B:
7-foot Classic Grand Piano
(2.11 m)
for the rehearsal room.
Fig. 1
Steinway Model D
Concert piano (9 ft)
Photo: Claudine Jacques

Music At Heart
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2.
The Érard Piano
Manufactured in London in 1859,
this Érard piano is fully representative
of the Romantic piano of the time of
Schumann, Liszt, Wagner, Saint-Saëns
and Fauré. This historical instrument was
completely restored between 2009 and
2011 by Claude Thompson and boasts an
exceptional sound.
3.
The Fortepiano
Bourgie Hall’s fortepiano was built in 2020
in Maine (USA) by Rodney J. Regier.
The instrument has proven to be highly
popular with performers, who praise both
its sound and its technical possibilities.
The instrument is based on Viennese
models by Conrad Graf and Ignaz
Bösendorfer between 1820 and 1840,
and which were known to Beethoven and
Schubert. Its light, all-wood structure,
strings and keyboard mechanism produce
a clear, bright sound.
Fig. 2
Historical Érard grand piano
(London, 1859), restored in 2009-2011
by Claude Thompson (Montreal).
Photo: Maxime Brunet
Fig. 3
Fortepiano
built by Rodney J. Regier (2020, Maine),
after instruments by Viennese makers
Conrad Graf and Ignaz Bösendorfer (1820-1840).
Photo: Tam Photography

16
BOURGIE HALL
4. 5.
Two Harpsichords
Bourgie Hall also owns two remarkable harpsichords:
A 17th-century Italian-style instrument with a short octave
and large compass built in 1975 by Rodney Myrvaagnes;
An instrument in the 17th-century Flemish style of
harpsichord-building made in 1984 by Keith Hill.
Fig. 4
Italian harpsichord
built by Rodney Myrvaagnes
(Boston, 1975), after a 17th-century
Italian-style instrument by
Johannes de Perticis (Florence).
Photo: MMFA, Christine Guest
Fig. 5
Flemish harpsichord
built by Keith Hill (Michigan, 1984),
after an instrument by Ruckers
(Antwerp), inspired by the
17th-century Flemish style.
Photo: MMFA, Christine Guest

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6.
The Clavicytherium
The Opus 100 of Yves Beaupré, one of
Canada’s most reputable makers of early
keyboard instrument, this clavicytherium
was designed in 2002 after an instrument
by Albertus Delin from 1768, housed in the
Kunstmuseum in The Hague. This unusual
instrument has the particularity of being
upright and has a single set of strings.
7.
Two Chamber Organs
Finally, Bourgie Hall also houses two
magnificent chamber organs both built by
Hellmuth Wolff:
A small chamber organ, built in 1958 and
transformed into a positive organ in 1998. It
has 51 keys and five registers;
A large chamber organ with 12 stops, two
manuals and a pedalboard. Built in Montreal
for the organists Bernard and Mireille
Lagacé, it was completely restored in 2011
by Hellmuth Wolff and François Desautels to
adapt it to the requirements of Bourgie Hall.
Fig. 6
Clavicytherium (“upright harpsichord”)
by Yves Beaupré, Op. 100 (Montreal, 2002).
After an instrument by Albertus Delin
(1712-1771), built in 1768 and preserved at
the Kunstmuseum in The Hague.
Photo: MMFA, Christine Guest
Fig. 7
Small chamber organ (Op. 1)
built by Hellmuth Wolff (Switzerland, 1958),
restored in 1998 by Hellmuth Wolff,
Jens Petersen and Steve Sinclair.
Photo: MMFA, Christine Guest

18
BOURGIE HALL
8. 9.

Music At Heart
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EXCEPTIONAL
TIFFANY
WINDOWS
Among the hall’s 81 stained glass windows,
which were fully cleaned and restored, 20
come from the workshops of the Tiffany
Glass and Decorating Company, including
four huge windows nearly four metres high,
which accentuate Bourgie Hall’s spectacular
look. These windows were commissioned in
1896 for the American Presbyterian Church
on Dorchester Street (today René-Lévesque
Boulevard) and were produced mainly
between 1897 and 1904, during the heyday
of the famous New York firm. Following the
merger of the two Presbyterian communities
(Erskine and American) in the 1930s, and
the subsequent demolition of the American
Presbyterian church which housed them, the
stained-glass windows were reinstalled in the
Erskine and American Church in 1937 and 1938.
These stained-glass windows carry the name
of the founder of the studio, New York artist
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933), a leader in
American design who became famous for his
Art Nouveau creations and the striking light
effects of his pieces.
A large team worked under Tiffany’s leadership
to create them, including Frederick Wilson, the
studio’s artistic director for nearly 30 years.
At least five of the windows can be safely
attributed to Wilson. The Bourgie Hall Tiffany
windows constitute one of only two of the
firm’s commissions for Canada and one of
the few surviving religious series by Tiffany
in North America. They are characterized
by a milky glass with iridescent, opalesque
reflections. An innovative permanent
backlighting system has been added—a first,
on this scale—allowing audiences to admire
the beauty of the windows during concerts.
Bourgie Hall is an exceptional setting in which
to display these stained-glass windows, which
are part of the collections of the Montreal
Museum of Fine Arts. Their value in the visual
arts and their importance in the history of
art are undeniable. They contribute to the
architectural beauty and unique atmosphere
of Bourgie Hall. In 2010, they benefitted from
an unprecedented restoration by Françoise
Saliou, under the supervision of the MMFA.
Fig. 8
Angel
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933), designed by
Frederick Wilson (1858-1932), Angel, Bourgie Hall, MMFA
(formerly the Erskine and American Church), 1904-1905,
leaded glass, made by Tiffany Studios, New York.
MMFA, purchase.
Photo: MMFA, Christine Guest
Fig. 9
Charity
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933), designed by
Thomas Calvert (1873- after 1934), Charity, Bourgie Hall,
MMFA (formerly the Erskine and American Church),
about 1901, leaded glass, made by Tiffany Glass and
Decorating Co., New York. MMFA, purchase.
Photo: MMFA, Christine Guest

20 BOURGIE HALL
HISTORY OF
THE HALL
Origins:
Historical Milestones
Before it became a concert venue, Bourgie Hall was a place of worship named
Erskine Presbyterian Church. Built in the late 19th century in the architecturally
massive and powerful Romanesque Revival style complete with a great nave,
the building recalls Europe’s medieval churches. Designed by Scottish-Canadian
architect Alexander Cowper Hutchison and inaugurated in 1894, the church was
an important locus for Montreal’s Scottish community, and a testament to its
prosperity.
The imposing facade is unique in its combination of two types of materials that
create a very interesting chromatic effect: roughly squared grey limestone and
finely carved brown sandstone from Miramichi, New Brunswick. The large central
vault frames a huge half-arched window. Following the 1934 merger with the
American Presbyterian Church, substantial renovations and remodeling of the
interior spaces were carried out.
This church is an invaluable witness to the destiny of various English-speaking
Protestant communities that once settled in downtown Montreal. It was
designated a historic site of national importance in 1998 by the Department of
Canadian Heritage due to its evolution, transformations, and history, bearing
witness to the growing prosperity of the Montreal community of Scottish origin.
Faced with a declining number of worshippers, the church permanently closed
its doors in 2004 and was abandoned for a few years thereafter.
Erskine and American Church, interior view,
before its restoration and transformation into a concert hall
Photo: MMFA

Une histoire à partager

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BOURGIE HALL
Founding Figures:
Bernard Lamarre and Pierre Bourgie
Bernard Lamarre, Chairman of the Board of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts,
appreciated the solidity of the former church’s architecture, its sumptuous
stained-glass windows and its grandiose nave. Having immediately understood
the possibilities of the site, he had wished to acquire it for several years. As early
as 1991, when digging for a tunnel linking the two MMFA pavilions on either side of
Sherbrooke Street was underway, Mr. Lamarre requested that the plans include
a possible link with the church. The MMFA, wishing to preserve its vocation as
a public space, seemed best placed to preserve and enhance the building. At
about the same time, Pierre Bourgie, a Quebec benefactor and art collector who
was highly involved in Montreal’s cultural scene, dreamt of a new concert hall for
the city. He was eager to endow a disused church with a new musical vocation,
and learned of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’ plan to integrate the former
Erskine and American Church in a Canadian art pavilion. Mr. Lamarre and Mr.
Bourgie would soon discover that their dreams created a perfect match.
The project of a new pavilion including the concert hall totalling an investment
of more than 42 million dollars, obtained thanks to contributions from the
Government of Quebec, the Government of Canada and several private donors,
enhances this architectural and heritage site. It provides an opportunity to
carry out a truly original project unique in Canada: a Canadian art pavilion and
a concert hall combined in the same location. This corresponded to a real need:
there was no medium-sized hall in Montreal ideally suited for chamber orchestra
performances and for those of similar ensembles.

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This architectural and heritage site
provides an opportunity to carry out
a truly original project unique in Canada:
a Canadian art pavilion and a concert hall
combined in the same location.
Thus, the two men conceived the project for the new pavilion together. The
exhibition rooms would be housed in a new section at the back of the church (the
nave did not meet international standards for museum institutions and could not
be used as an exhibition space). Mr. Bourgie suggested that it be converted into
a concert hall. The project immediately appealed to Nathalie Bondil, the MMFA’s
executive director at the time, and Paul Lavallée, the Museum’s administrative
director responsible, among other things, for the construction of the Claire and
Marc Bourgie Pavilion.
A page of history was turned in 2008, when the MMFA officially acquired the site.
A year earlier, in 2007, the Arte Musica Foundation was created by Mr. Bourgie.
This non-profit organization’s objective is to implement and financially support
the musical programming of the new concert hall and the artists who perform
there. Arte Musica, which guarantees the operating capital and is responsible
for the management of the venue, is an organization in residence at the MMFA.
From the outset, Pierre Bourgie entrusted the general and artistic direction of
Arte Musica to Isolde Lagacé, then director of the Conservatoire de musique
de Montréal, highly esteemed for her skills, experience and thorough knowledge
of the musical milieu. It is thanks to her vision, foresight and dynamism that Bourgie
Hall has become one of Canada’s most sought-after venues for concert music.
Arte Musica has recognized her exceptional contribution by naming her General
and Artistic Director Emeritus following her retirement in November 2022.

24
BOURGIE HALL
Conversion Work
The impressive conversion of the church followed the construction by the
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts of the Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion of Quebec
and Canadian art, which met both museum and musical needs. A new five-storey
section for the exhibition rooms and an underground gallery linking the building
to the other pavilions of the MMFA were built. The pavilion, which was grafted
onto the back of the building, adds a modern touch to the architectural ensemble.
The management of the work, which began in January 2009, was entrusted to
the Montreal architectural firm Provencher_Roy. During the complex conversion
of the church into a concert venue, massive efforts were made to transform the
site, with its highly resonant acoustics, into a magnificent 465-seat concert hall,
while preserving its historical, heritage and cultural wealth.
Restoration of the nave of the
Erskine and American Church, now Bourgie Hall
Photo: Bernard Fougères

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The facade of the church was completely restored. Damaged stones were
replaced, and a new entrance was built in front. Inside, the basement was
excavated at ground level to give it more space and make it a real foyer connected
to the underground gallery, while the choir was redesigned for staging purposes.
The original church pews in the orchestra level were removed and replaced
with movable chairs designed by Michel Dallaire, to ensure the versatility of the
new seating arrangements. The pews in the balcony level, once restored, were
retained.
To prepare Bourgie Hall for its musical vocation, permanent sound and lighting
installations were added. Go Multimedia (stage and electronics) and Legault
& Davidson (acoustics consultants) provided Bourgie Hall with professional
equipment to meet the high standards of today’s state-of-the-art venues. The
cherry wood acoustic shell, the wood floors, the addition of sound-absorbing
material on the rear walls and the acoustic reflectors in the centre of the ceiling
all enhance the sound qualities of the hall and maximize its intrinsic qualities.
Although the
acoustics of the
church have always
been excellent,
these improvements
have ensured that
the sound remains
optimal whether the
audience is seated
in the orchestra or
the balcony levels.
Construction of the Claire and Marc Bourgie
Pavilion of Quebec and Canadian Art of the
MMFA and restoration of the Erskine and
American Church, now Bourgie Hall
Photo: Bernard Fougères

26
BOURGIE HALL

Music At Heart
27
Bourgie Hall, interior view
Photo: Marc Cramer

28
A Valuable Alliance with
the Montreal Museum of
Fine Arts
In the arts, union is strength! A remarkable
example of the integration of various cultural
uses, such a project can serve as a model for
other museums and cultural institutions. The
link with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts,
a world-renowned cultural institution, is an
invaluable asset, as Bourgie Hall is one of the
few exclusively musical halls to be part of a
museum’s premises. Numerous projects can
be developed in common, notably concerts
presented in conjunction with the exhibitions
on display at the MMFA.
Bourgie Hall: A Hall
for the Future
In just a few short years, Bourgie Hall has
achieved a profound transformation of
the Montreal music and arts scene, while
acquiring an enviable international reputation.
The quality of its musical programming,
its prime location in one of Canada’s most
dynamic cities, and its acoustic qualities have
ensured that the hall now occupies a key
position in the Quebec and Canadian musical
environment. Loyal audiences know they
can attend concerts there with confidence.
The hall remains one of the most important
presenters of classical music in Quebec, and
has provided a new component to the MMFA,
further strengthening the synergy between
music and the visual arts.
Night view of the Claire and Marc Bourgie
Pavilion of Quebec and Canadian Art of the
MMFA and of Bourgie Hall
Photo: MMFA, Denis Farley

30
BOURGIE HALL
SEATING
PLAN
Balcony
Orchestra
Stage

Du Musée Av.
Bourgie
Hall
Sherbrooke Street West
De la Montagne Street
Crescent Street
Montreal
Museum of Fine Arts
Main Entrance
Bishop Street
Maisonneuve Boul. West
Bourgie Hall
Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
1339 Sherbrooke Street West