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Verisimo presents: Les Femmes de FILMPROV Christine Hoerning, clarinet

verisimomusique
Feb 7, 2019
3 min read

Sunday February 10th at Anticafe in the Old Port of Montreal

(406 NotreDame Est)

8pm

$15

Verisimo: Chamber Music and Film will be hosting a Filmprov event celebrating the life and pioneering work of female filmmaker Germaine Dulac.

A Note :

I am so excited to present the works of this extraordinary woman, feminist, and filmmaker Germaine Dulac.

There is so much to admire from this early 20th century pioneer of impressionist and surrealist films. Mostly however, I admire her bravery. She had the courage to criticize and critique the status quo, the patriarchal society, and the fate of women.

This could not have been easy, and she was undermined by the men in positions power in her field who referred to her as "a cow". There was the risk of retribution, of not being able to continue her work, of others not wanting to work with her. Nevertheless, she persisted.

NEVERTHELESS, SHE PERSISTED.

In my opinion, Germaine Dulac's films speak a truth not always in the most direct way but they speak a truth. A necessary truth. I think being that honest in your art, that progressive in your art takes fortitude and it makes me contemplate my own strength.

I think of myself as a strong woman. I am my mother's daughter afterall and there is no one I know stronger than she. But do I have the strength, the bravery, to take artistic risks, to speak my truth. to critique our society ,our status quo? While I would like to think I do, I am not sure, in fact I fear that in truth I may not.

Germaine Dulac. She persisted. They tried to silence her. They tried to undermine her. Nevertheless, she persisted. So on Sunday February 10th we will celebrate her. We celebrate her films, her accomplishments, her bravery, and her persistence.

A New York native now based in Montreal, Christine Hoerning is a clarinetist, director, teacher, and creator across a multitude of genres.

An active freelancer with classical background, Christine fills clarinet positions in numerous orchestras throughout New York and Quebec, including principal clarinet of l’orchestre philharmonique de musiciens de Montreal, and second clarinet with l’orchestre symphonique de musiciens du monde. She has also filled auxilarly positions with the Kingston Symphony (Ontario) and the Orchestra of Northern New York.

As founder and artistic director of the interdisciplinary collective Verisimo, Christine has curated over 20 performances throughout Quebec, Ontario, and New York, which showcased classical and contemporary chamber music performed in synchronicity with original films. Beyond the administrative duties of managing an ensemble, Christine is the filmmaker and editor behind Verisimo’s films. Past performances have included collaborations with conductor Nicolas Ellis. Through an exciting partnership with Emilie Fortin, Verisimo is launching a new concert series entitled Filmprov which will screen original and repurposed films accompanied by a live improvisatory soundtrack.

Her passion and enthusiasm for new music has lead to collaboration with creative minds and seeking out non-traditional performances spaces and opportunities. She has worked frequently with creator Andre Pappathomas and his ensemble Mruta Mertsi in numerous installations focusing on creation and improvisation. A particular highlight was her role in the premiere of Slideshow, an opera by composer Rachel Burman which allowed for the exploration of sound, music, and movement. She is a featured soloist on the album “Voyages”, a collection of works by Swedish composer Jonathan Ostlund to be released in 2019 under the Divine Record label.

No true New York musician would be complete without their musical theatre credits and Christine is no exception. An accomplished doubler on flute, saxophones, and double reeds from a young age; her musical theatre credits include Kiss Me Kate Fiddler on the Roof A Chorus Line Into The Woods 110 in the Shade West Side Story The Wiz The Wizard of Oz Seussical the Musical Anything Goes Annie Oliver Evita 42nd Street Pippin Cinderella