January 24 to 29, 2002, Robert Normandeau, with collegues Réjean Poirier and Jean Saulnier from the music faculty of the University of Montréal, gave both a concert and a conference at the national superior music and dance conservatory in Lyon (France). His pieces “Le renard et la rose” (Figures) and “Erinyes” (Clair de terre) were played at the concert. He also gave a lecture to the students about his composition Clair de terre. The composer then moved to Marseille where he worked with the “Holophon,” a sonic spatialisation system conceived at the GMEM (Marseille’s experimental music group). The GMEM commissioned a work by the composer.

Yves Daoust is one of the guest composers at the Ninth Annual Ussachevsky Festival at Pomona College (Claremont, CA). Late afternoon, the composer will give a conference about his work. In the evening, his composition “Impromptu” (mixed version, taken from the album Bruits) will be interpreted by pianists Genevieve Feiwen Lee and Gideon Rubin. Saturday February 9, 2002 at the Lyman Hall (Thatcher Music Building, Pomona College).

During the “Mois Multi” events, musician Michel F Côté and choregrapher Catherine Tardif presents “Soi-même / Priser à deux,” a minimalist duo that delicately blurs the frontier between music and body. The evening also proposes a sonic installation by Jean-Pierre Gauthier, “Piézoom,” and an audio performance by Steve Heimbecker, “What is not Babylone.” A Recto-Verso presentation, held at the Multi hall of Méduse (Québec City), Friday February 22, 2002.

The second edition of the “Machines” concerts will be held in Québec City during the Mois Multi event. A joint presentation by No Type, Avatar and Recto-Verso, this night of audio performances proposes to the public a meeting of four hardened improvisers. First, a duo by Magali Babin (amplified objects) and Guillaume Théroux (4-track tape recorder) presents a “musique concrète” improvisation. Secondly, the Martin Tétreault (turntables) and Érick Dorion (computer) duo offers a maximalist and dynamic noise performance. The four musicians will then complete the night with a collective improvsation. Salle Multi of Méduse (Québec City), Saturday February 23, 2002, 8pm.

Outsight’s Tom Schulte selected Gilles Gobeil’ newest CD, … dans le silence de la nuit…, in his “19 Best Albums of 2001.” Details about all the selected woralbumsks are available on Outsight’s web page.