Montreal International Jazz Festival spotlights Viviane Audet and her neo-classical sound

The festival’s 46th edition highlights Montreal talent through Audet’s reflective, narrative performance

Fringe ArtsAndréas Fleury — Published November 18, 2025 0 minutes

Since its founding in 1980, the festival has become the world's largest jazz event, known for balancing international and homegrown talents. Modibo Keita, part of the festival’s programming team, says the goal is to “reflect the diversity of the metropolis while honouring the pillars of jazz tradition.”

He emphasizes the festival’s mandate to connect with generations of artists.

"The most important thing for a festival is to serve as a meeting place between established artists and those who are still developing,” Keita says. 

He adds that having world-class talent gathered in Montreal is a “real gift” for its audiences and artists.

This year, composer and pianist Viviane Audet embodies that commitment to local artistry. Set to perform her album Le piano et le torrent at the Gesù theatre on opening night, Audet offers festivalgoers a glimpse of the reasons behind her selection to lead the 2026 edition: a strong performance that blends instrumental composition and narrative storytelling. 

"There are people who don't know me, but because of the jazz festival's presence, they'll come out of curiosity," Audet says. "So, in terms of discoverability, it's really something quite special.”

For years, Audet took a winding path to this moment. Before focusing on her own personal projects, she composed for others. Her work on the Polytechnique documentary sparked a new creative direction, leading to projects such as Les filles montagnes and later Les nuits avancent comme des camions blindés sur les filles, two albums charged with feminist activism. 

When she began focusing on her own projects, she found herself exploring more intimate, reflective terrain and turning storytelling and music into a process of growth and healing.

Released on Jan. 31, 2025, Le piano et le torrent marks a turning point in Audet's career, which she describes as her milestone.

"It's the thing I created that changed my path, the reason I now have the chance to be on a jazz festival stage," she reflects.

The 15-track instrumental album was born during a period of personal turmoil and composed through disciplined daily writing. But Audet insists the project is more than music.

"Le piano et le torrent is a show where the music obviously plays a major role. But what also takes centre stage is the storytelling,” Audet explains. “It’s what I share between the pieces, the narrative thread that unfolds as the performance progresses.”

Maryse Dubé, Audet's project manager, witnessed this evolution firsthand and recognized the significance of the album early on.

"When I saw her album, I told her, ‘Viviane, Le piano et le torrent is your breakthrough album,'” Dubé says. “I already knew her [work], but this album is truly a stepping stone.”

Audet's theatrical approach comes naturally. Originally dreaming of becoming an actress, she honed her sensibility through years of composing for film and documentaries. 

"I wanted to be an actress," Audet recalls, noting audiences’ surprise at the theatrical aspect of her shows. 

"I'd say 99 per cent of people wouldn't expect this," she adds. "There's a theatrical dimension to the show that really catches you off guard."

Audet's approach to instrumental music challenges common practices. Her attention to track titles and themes of displacement invites audiences to map out their own experiences.

“I want people to experience the show as an immersion,” Audet says.

She emphasizes that audiences are free to engage with it however they wish. Listeners often share deeply personal responses, writing to tell her they play her music during surgeries, births or sleepless nights.

“People have an astonishingly intimate connection with instrumental music,” Audet says. “I never would have imagined that.”

This response has given her work new meaning. Even though the show has only been performed once so far, preparing and presenting it has already become part of her healing process.

“I found peace that night,” Audet says. “It has helped me mourn this torrent and to look at it with more gentleness.”

Used to collaboration, she describes this album as a moment of intimate self-reflection. 

"I love working with people. I'm not solitary at all,” Audet says. “That's why Le piano et le torrent was so surprising, it was the first time I found myself completely alone.”

Audet fell in love with the Gesù theatre during her September 2025 show at the venue. She praised the acoustic intimacy of the 425-seat venue, one of Montreal’s oldest performance spaces. 

"In my jazz festival concert, I want that same sense of sonic closeness to come through," Audet says.

Being selected for the jazz festival represents more than just another booking for Audet. It offers both validation and community.

"Seeing that programmers trust us gives me a real boost. It really builds my confidence,” Audet says. “[...] When you go to see other shows, you can meet people and make connections.”

Audet’s opening-night performance cements the Montreal International Jazz Festival’s role as a stage where local stories find global resonance.

This article originally appeared in Volume 46, Issue 6, published November 18, 2025.