collectif9: Rituæls

ON STAGE 

• collectif9 
  • Chloé Chabanole: violin 
  • TJ Skinner: violin 
  • Cynthia Blanchon: viola 
  • Andrea Stewart: cello 
  • Thibault Bertin-Maghit: double bass 
• Matti Pulkki: accordion 
• Stacey Désilier: dance 

OFF STAGE 

• Thibault Bertin-Maghit: artistic direction and staging 
• Andrea Stewart: associate direction 
• Stacey Désilier: choreography 
• Zachary Scholes: live sound

Laureate at the 2025 JUNOS and Performer of the Year at the 2025 Prix Opus, Montreal-based string ensemble collectif9 is known for their innovative programming and approach to chamber music. The group aims to present classical music from a singular perspective, where new voices and interpretations are welcomed and encouraged, performing “with an infectious energy and vigour that grabs an audience’s attention” (The WholeNote). Since their 2011 debut, collectif9 has performed numerous concerts across North America, Europe, and Asia. Highlights include concerts in the Festival de Música de Morelia (Mexico), La Folle journée de Nantes (France), Festival de Lanaudière (Québec), Shenzhen Concert Hall (China), and Sound Unbound (Barbican Centre, London). Inspired by the processes of other artistic movements, collectif9 cultivates artistic partnerships with composers, video artists, poets, lighting designers, and other collaborators to bring their distinctive projects to life.  

Rituæls (Analekta, 2024), their most recent album, received a JUNO Award and an Opus Award and was a finalist at the Gala ADISQ. Released with European label Alpha Classics, the ensemble’s two previous albums (Vagues et ombres, No Time for Chamber Music) were nominated at the Juno Awards in 2022 and 2023. In addition to their albums, the group has released a series of three film-concerts, live performances filmed with a cinematographic approach, as well as a docu-concert (Ce qui nous lie, 2025) which reveals the group's creative process. In 2025, Thibault Bertin-Maghit was named Artistic Director of the Year at the Prix Opus for his work with the ensemble.  

Graduating from the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal in 2014, Stacey Désilier is a performer with remarkable intensity. Her artistic curiosity leads her to explore a wide range of disciplines, including contemporary dance, urban dance, and circus arts. Among her collaborations are works with Mélanie Demers/Mayday, Compagnie Catherine Gaudet, Dana Gingras/Animals of Distinction, Helen Simard, George Stamos, Le Carré Des Lombes/Danièle Desnoyers, collectif9, Tentacle Tribe, Benoît Landry/Nord nord est, Dave St-Pierre, Cirque Éloize and the Opera Starmania. Désilier believes in the fusion of cultures through dance and is driven by a desire to continue sharing artistic experiences. She recently co-created Braids & Heritage, a bold, playful work that deconstructs and decolonizes cowboy mythology through Black heritage, memory, and Afrofuturist imagination.

Finnish accordionist Matti Pulkki is acclaimed for his imaginative and creative exploration of the vast expressive potential of his instrument. Although he focuses on contemporary and experimental programming, Pulkki also actively performs repertoire that ranges from classical works and transcriptions to diverse global styles. He is also a sought-after collaborator in opera, theatre, and interdisciplinary productions as a musician, performer, and arranger. Regardless of the genre or context, Pulkki aims to captivate audiences with performances that showcase the instrument’s full expressive range and versatility. Currently based in Toronto, Pulkki performs as a soloist and with ensembles worldwide. His ongoing chamber music projects include the eclectic voice and accordion duo Sawtooth with vocalist Sarah Albu, the Toronto-based Freesound Performance Collective, and the internationally acclaimed classical crossover ensemble Quartetto Gelato. Pulkki frequently collaborates with composers to discover new sonic landscapes for the accordion. A passionate educator and advocate for his instrument, Pulkki regularly presents lectures and workshops for composers and accordionists in Europe and North America. He holds a Master’s degree from the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Toronto.