The McGill Chamber Orchestra is one of Canada’s most established chamber orchestras. It was founded by Artistic Director, Alexander Brott, and his wife, Lotte who served the orchestra as cellist and Manager. The MCO began in 1939 as the McGill String Quartet and quickly grew into an ensemble, which had as its members the principal teachers of the Faculty of Music of McGill University. Eventually, the MCO evolved to an ensemble of international standard featuring Montreal’s finest musicians, many of them principal players in the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. It also has a reputation of featuring the world’s greatest artists in regular concert series at Place des Arts and in the Montreal urban community.
The MCO is a piece of Quebec’s bedrock artistic history. It is one of the first artistic organizations in the province of Quebec that has managed to present the highest artistic standards coupled with fiscal responsibility. Moreover, at no other time has it been more important to remember and celebrate our history, particularly with organizations that have as successfully served both French and English cultures. This rock-solid foundation is thanks to the work of the Brotts, a dedicated Board of Directors, and a loyal audience.
The MCO has occupied an important place in Canada’s classical music scene since its founding. The MCO has given numerous Canadian musicians the opportunity to perform high quality music at a professional level and to be a part of one of Canada’s most established chamber music ensembles. Over the years, the Orchestra has employed Montreal’s finest musicians in order to maintain the highest standard of performances.