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The Doctoral Colloquium is open to all.

Doctoral Colloquium: Ensemble Obiora

°Õ¾±³Ù±ô±ð:ÌýEnsemble Obiora: Towards a More Inclusive and Representative Classical Scene in Canada

´¡²ú²õ³Ù°ù²¹³¦³Ù:ÌýEnsemble Obiora is Canada's first classical music ensemble composed primarily of professional musicians from culturally diverse backgrounds. Ensemble Obiora's mission is to promote musicians from different cultural backgrounds in order to increase their representation on the classical music scene, and to program works by composers of different origins whose music is little-known or little-considered. Founded on the 3D principle of DIVERSITY, DISCOVERY and DISSEMINATION, Ensemble Obiora's ambition is to breathe new life and diversity into classical music in Canada, to create a sense of belonging within hitherto under-represented communities, and to inspire the next generation of classical musicians.

´¡±ô±ô¾±²õ´Ç²Ô M¾±²µ±ð´Ç²Ô

As a cultural coordinator for 10 years, ´¡±ô±ô¾±²õ´Ç²Ô M¾±²µ±ð´Ç²Ô has had the opportunity to develop her organizational and administrative skills with renowned European festivals, orchestras and music ensembles such as Les Chorégies d’Orange, the Festival des Journées Ravel and Ensemble Arpeggiata. She has worked with such prominent artists as Philippe Jaroussky, Renaud Capuçon, Nathalie Dessay and The King’s Singers.
After moving to Montreal, she maintained her involvement in the cultural milieu, working for the International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA), the Festival de Films Francophones CINEMANIA, the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique and the OBORO artist centre.
Of French and Martinican heritage, Allison quickly became interested in the lack of diversity represented on the classical music scene, both on and off stage. Upon discovering organizations such as Chineke! Orchestra and the Sphinx Organization, she began to think about what could be done to address this lack of diversity in Canada.
Firm in her convictions and her desire to share her vision, in March 2021 she founded Ensemble Obiora with Brandyn Lewis.

Brandyn Lewis

Brandyn Lewis is an interim section double bassist in the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal and freelance musician in the Montreal area. He has had the privilege of playing a wide range of repertoire with the OSM under the direction of maestros Kent Nagano, Rafael Payare, Suzanna Malkki, Sir Andrew Davis, and Michael Tilson Thomas, to name a few, and in 2019, he toured across Europe and South America playing in some of the most prestigious concert halls. As an octobassist, he has made appearances with the OSM and the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières.
Brandyn has also performed with other ensembles such as the Orchestre Classique de Montreal, Orchestre symphonique de Sherbrooke, Filmharmonique, and Ballet-Opéra-Pantomime. He has equally done chamber music collaborations with members of the OSM and Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Native of Montreal, Brandyn met the double bass at age eleven and later studied with René Gosselin at the Conservatoire de musique de Montreal. In 2017, he received a B.Mus in classical performance with Outstanding Achievement, at the Schulich School of Music at º£ÍâÖ±²¥bÕ¾ with Ali Yazdanfar.
Brandyn is proud of his role as co-founder and artistic director of the Ensemble Obiora, promoting diversity and cultural representation in classical music in Canada.

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