"I'm of Martinican origin, music has always been part of my culture. It was more zouk and French pop at home, so nothing to do with classical music!", explains Allison Migeon, co-founder of the Ensemble Obiora, about her childhood. Her first discovery of classical music was through ballet. Later, as an adult, she wanted to work in this field, becoming a cultural administrator.
Allison moved to Montreal almost seven years ago. "Once I was there, I thought: Oh! No way I'm going back to France!", she exclaims, laughing. There, she studied at a performing arts school before working for various orchestras, ensembles, festivals, and production companies. The cultural administrator regrets that these schools are not accessible, given the cost and the requirements to enter. "I really struggled to find my place," she says about the French professional environment. In Montreal, she was able to create her own, and contributes to promoting those of others with Obiora, a classical music ensemble she co-founded in 2021 with her partner, the double bassist Brandyn Lewis.
Unity is strength
Obiora is composed of professional musicians, most of whom come from diverse cultural backgrounds. Its goal: to promote and increase the representation of different cultural milieus in classical music.
The idea for such a project took shape in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. "Like many people, it was a moment of pause and questioning," Allison recalls. Many equity, diversity, and inclusion policies were being put in place at that time, in a context exacerbated by the death of George Floyd. "People were starting to ask questions. We also asked ourselves these same questions: what is the place of representation for people from different backgrounds in classical music?"
Her partner Brandyn Lewis, artistic director of Obiora and double bassist for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, and the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, has often been the only Black musician in these institutions. "We really asked ourselves the question: how come?", Allison remembers.
Tanya Charles, a Black violinist based in Toronto, was experiencing the same situation and shared the same reflections. "When we told her about our project, she was immediately on board," says Allison. Quickly, the project took shape, driven by the enthusiasm of musicians who wanted to contribute. "Right away, it gained incredible momentum. Everyone was so happy to be part of the adventure. That's how it was created."
In the beginning, the idea was to gather among friends and people who had the same interests. "We realized that it met a real need, both for the artists and for the audience."
No less than 200 people attended Obiora's first concert in August 2021. "Out of four works presented at that concert, there were three works by composers of African descent that no one had ever heard of. And that didn't dissuade people from coming at all."
Democratizing classical music
Obiora is now a non-profit organization and a registered charity. "We wanted to put on concerts, but we also wanted to have an impact on the community," explains Allison.
The founders of Obiora want to make classical music accessible to everyone, so that everyone feels welcome. "Unfortunately, there are still too many prejudices regarding this environment. We feel that it's still too elitist," laments the general manager. The organization therefore offers music workshops dedicated to children and adults "for people who, generally speaking, don't go to concerts or don't know classical music." "We realized that there's a real need, a real demand."
The audience, more familiar with the classical music scene, is surprised by the diversity of the audience in terms of cultural origins, ages, and socio-professional categories. "We really have a very different audience from what we usually see in a concert hall. And that was our goal," Allison rejoices.
Last year, during the first concert of the season, Obiora performed a violin concerto by Florence Price (1887-1953). This woman was the first African-American symphonic composer, and her legacy includes over 300 works. Tanya Charles, the ensemble's principal violin, was the soloist. "There were people crying in the hall!" says Allison. "Several Black women came to see us and said, 'This is the first time we've seen a Black woman featured like this, with an orchestra,'" says Allison.
The executive director believes in the power of representation. "People tell us: 'I used to play music when I was young, but since no one looked like me, I didn't even see myself continuing. I never thought about becoming a professional musician.'"
Lead by the example
Allison Migeon wants to make parents understand that professional opportunities are possible. "For [parents], making music isn't a potential career," she laments. She remembers this young Black double bassist who, after seeing Brandyn play on stage, exclaimed to him: "I play the double bass, and one day I'm going to play with Obiora!"
Obiora does not aspire to become a symphony orchestra and wishes to maintain its community mission. "In our approach, we make ourselves available after concerts." This is the motto for the musicians: to take the time to meet the audience. "Because people need (...) to communicate, to express their emotions."
The lack of diversity in the field is so glaring that professional musicians themselves come to believe that there are simply no other racialized musicians, explains Allison. "But that's false," she clarifies. What justifies such an absence? Several barriers, notably economic ones, stand before young people from diverse cultural communities. "The more we think about it, the more we realize that there's also a problem with access to music; it should be free and accessible to everyone, and that's really not the case. It's still a discipline that costs a lot: you have to take lessons, buy or rent an instrument. It requires a lot of discipline, a lot of time."
Obiora is therefore trying to change things. As a pilot project, the organization set up a twenty-week violin learning program in a public school in Saint-Michel. Each week, teachers give violin lessons to the children, and each student has their own instrument.
The classes have just ended, and the project could not meet the demand. "We had forty spots in our program, and there were over a hundred students who wanted to register," Allison explains. "Adults have prejudices, they think that it won't interest [the children]. But no, when we give them access, there is interest."
It is not uncommon for children to have no musical education at school or at home, notes Allison. "The goal isn't necessarily to make them professional musicians, but to give them a little spark, so that they discover something new," she explains.
Subsequently, if a child wants to continue learning an instrument, there is the possibility of going to a high school with a music program. "It's essential to realize that it opens up a universe for them, an additional door."
Decompartmentalizing classical music
The director of Obiora believes that such an initiative on the other side of the Atlantic would have involved another set of challenges. "To be 'well-integrated' into French society, you have to assimilate. Obiora's project would be considered communitarianism there," she believes. She gives the example of Zahia Ziouani, a French conductor of Algerian origin. "She created her orchestra. She's a young woman of North African origin who grew up in the Parisian suburbs in the 80s," she explains. "She experienced both misogyny and racism in her journey. But when I see how the French media talks about her, very often they highlight the fact that she's a woman. They never mention her origins and the fact that she grew up in the suburbs."
A completely different metronome beat resonates in the United States. Allison Migeon took part in SphinxConnect, a summit for diversity and inclusion in classical music, in Detroit last January. There, the concern was palpable, particularly regarding the cancellation of diversity initiatives imposed by the Trump administration. "The general feeling is that we need to find strategies to continue the work, even if it means adapting the language and terminology to circumvent resistance," notes Allison.
Out of the 2,200 people present, Allison saw few Canadian institutions, and none from Quebec, while major American orchestras and schools like Berklee College of Music and Juilliard were present. "I noticed that many white people from the United States come to this type of event because they want to understand what the issues are, how their colleagues feel, how the people they invite feel. And I don't get the impression that we're there yet in Canada."
It must be said that in the United States, music is more accessible. Countless professional musicians come from public music schools and programs. "There are specific programs, dedicated foundations that fund them. Opportunities that simply don't exist in Canada," states the ensemble's general manager. Obiora was particularly inspired by the Chineke! Orchestra in London, which promotes the professional careers of musicians from diverse backgrounds. "What's happening in Canada? Does that exist? How come a country like Canada is so behind?".
She does, however, acknowledge the efforts of major Quebec institutions in terms of diversity. "A conductor like Rafael Payare, I think, has really brought a new breath of fresh air in terms of programming. The same goes for the Orchestre Métropolitain with Yannick Nézet-Séguin. He's someone who has always shown his interest in diversity, who really tries to build bridges."
She also applauds the El Sistema program of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, which has just been implemented and offers 600 students the opportunity to play in a youth orchestra. "I think this type of initiative must continue. It's really what can make a difference, allowing these young people to continue learning their instrument, pursue studies, and then find themselves in a position to audition and perhaps join orchestras," she explains.
Because that's where the problem lies. It's not that orchestras resist diversifying their staff, it's that musicians have to audition, explains Allison. At this stage, very few of them come from diverse backgrounds. "If, out of fifty people who come to audition, we have one Black person, one Latino person, one South Asian person, and these three don't make it past the first round, then inevitably, in the end, only white people will remain."
It is precisely for this reason that Obiora's audition criteria differ. "We will favor people who come from diverse cultural backgrounds, because we know they have fewer opportunities," states Ms. Migeon. This is not at all about lowering the standards of excellence; Obiora remains a group of professional musicians. "We can't take everyone. Also, let's not kid ourselves, we face prejudices against people from diverse backgrounds who are not considered professional," she laments.
Shifting the discourse around classical music
Obiora performs in very different venues. Last fall, the group presented a series of five concerts in long-term care facilities (CHSLDs), featuring works by composers of African descent. For the group, it's just routine, but for the audience, it's much less so.
Positive comments poured in. "Ladies would come up to us and exclaim, 'Oh, I didn't know these composers at all, it's incredible! It's so good, so beautiful! You gave us a wonderful time...' Well, that's what we want!" says Allison.
Obiora also focuses on accessibility. "We've chosen to have extremely low prices, compared to what is usually done. Most people today, especially with inflation and everything, can't afford to spend $85 per person to go to a concert."
To set the concert prices, Ms. Migeon surveyed friends, young people, and students who are not in the classical music sector. "We asked them: you who don't generally listen to classical music, how much money would you spend to see our concert, or any other concert?" Thus, tickets for the concert cost $30, and $20 for students. For children, it's free. "We thought: what's the point of parents coming if they don't bring their children?!"
Obiora also establishes partnerships with organizations to offer them complimentary tickets, for example, organizations for new immigrants or those that help women in shelters. "We don't give away tickets to fill our hall. We give away tickets because for us, it makes sense to welcome these people who, very often, find themselves in situations where they have no money, no contact, no network."
The initiative also thrives thanks to government grants and donations. While budget cuts are hitting the cultural sector hard, the music scene is not spared. The Orchestre Métropolitain had to cancel performances, and several others had to cancel concerts or reduce their season. Obiora is no exception. "Last year, we had four major concerts, and we chose to do two." Resources are equally lacking for marginalized people. "People think: 'Oh, but diversity is so easy for you, you just have to call, and everyone gives you money!' 'It's so easy for you because you tick the boxes!' And no! So not!"
Obiora aims to present pieces that have never been played in Quebec, or even in Canada. The last concert of the season was held this Sunday, May 11th, at the Salle Pierre-Mercure of the Pierre-Péladeau Centre. It featured Jaelem Bhate, conductor of the Prince Edward Island Symphony Orchestra, and welcomed pianist John Kofi Dapaah, a Canadian of Ghanaian origin, who played Florence Price's Concerto in One Movement. The program also included Ted Runcie's Wind Quartet, a Canadian composer of Jamaican origin, a piece by contemporary Quebec composer of Indian origin Gabriel Dharmoo, and a piece by Fela Sowande, a Nigerian composer, with music titled African Suite. "I fell in love with this piece when I heard it on CBC radio."
Obiora performs in very different places. Last fall, the group presented a series of five concerts in CHSLDs, with Afro-descended composers on the program. For the group, it's just routine, but for the audience, it's much less routine.
The positive comments were overwhelming. “Ladies came up to us and said, “Oh, I didn't know these composers at all, that's incredible! It's so good, it's so beautiful! You gave us a great time...” Well, that's what we want! ” says Allison.
Obiora also focuses on accessibility. “We chose to make rates extremely low, compared to what is usually done. Most people today, especially with inflation and all that, can't put $85 per person to go see a concert.”
To determine the price of the concerts, Ms. Migeon surveyed friends, young people and students who are not in the classical music business. “We told them: you who don't listen to classical music in general, how much money would you put in to see our concert, or any other concert? ”. Thus, tickets for the concert cost $30, and $20 for students. For children, it's free. “We said to ourselves: what's the point in parents coming if they don't bring their children? ! ”.
Obiora also partners with organizations to offer them freebies, such as organizations for new immigrants or organizations that help women in shelters. “We don't give out tickets to fill our room. We give out tickets because for us, it makes sense to welcome these people who, very often, find themselves in situations where they have no money, no contact, no network.”
The initiative is also supported by government grants and donations. While budget cuts are rampant in the cultural sector, the music industry is not spared. The Orchestre Métropolitain had to cancel performances and several others had to cancel concerts or reduce their season. Obiora is no exception. “Last year, we had four big concerts and we chose to do two.” The resources are just as lacking for marginalized people. “People think: “Oh, but diversity is so easy for you, you just have to ring the bell, everyone gives you money! “It's so easy for you, because you fill in the boxes! ”. And no! So not so much! ”
Obiora aims to present plays that have never been performed in Quebec, or even in Canada. The last concert of the season was held this Sunday, May 11, at the Pierre-Mercure room at the Pierre-Péladeau Center. It staged Jaelem Bhate, conductor of the Prince Edward Island Orchestra, and welcomed pianist John Kofi Dapaah, a Canadian of Ghanaian origin, who played Florence Price's one-movement concerto. Also on the program are the wind quartet by Ted Runcie, a Canadian composer of Jamaican origin, a piece by contemporary Quebec composer of Indian origin Gabriel Dharmoo, and a piece by Fela Sowande, a Nigerian composer, with music entitled African Suite. “I fell in love with this piece when I heard it on CBC radio.”