Choeur Louisbourg Choir

The Chœur Louisbourg originated with Réjean Poirier, a leading figure in New Brunswick’s cultural scene, who wished to create a professional choir specializing in early music. Under the artistic direction of Monique Richard, the choir, whose size may vary according to different needs, generally comprises some twenty choristers who are all trained musicians from across the province. Its inaugural concert occurred on October 15, 2006, in the Saint-Anselme church in Dieppe. Since then, the choir quickly and firmly established itself in the cultural landscape of New Brunswick. The ensemble is regularly invited to collaborate with other organizations in the province, such as Symphony New Brunswick and the Atlantic Ballet Theatre. 

The Chœur Louisbourg served as the choir-in-residence of the Sackville Festival of Early Music from 2006 to 2014. In 2015, the Service d’Action culturelle et artistique de l’Université PARIS 8 invited the Chœur Louisbourg to take part in Rencontres Chorales 2015. In 2018, the choir launched its first CD, Chansons d’amour d’Acadie et de France, on the ATMA Classique label. In 2020, it was invited to take part in the Messiah/Complex, an initiative of Against the Grain theatre company, in collaboration with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and over a dozen soloists and choirs from different communities in Canada. The event received critical acclaim from The New York Times, the BBC and France Musique. 

Since its founding, the Chœur Louisbourg’s defining repertoire has largely remained within the Renaissance and Baroque periods. However, the remarkable versatility of its artistic director and choristers has also enabled it to incorporate other musical periods. Moreover, the ensemble attaches great importance to works by contemporary composers. In recent years, it has performed pieces by Richard Gibson, Jean-François Mallet, Frédéric Chiasson, and Mathieu Lussier, among others, and commissioned works from emerging composers such as Matthew C. Lane and James Fogarty.