- Eduardo Caballero (MX): indeterminacion del continuo
- Florence M. Tremblay (CA): Vapeurs taillées
- Émilie Girard-Charest (CA): Bestiaire
- Michal Wróblewski (CZ): Rhythms no.6 Glissando for saxophone quartet – a world premiere commissioned by Contempuls
- Amy Brandon (CA): Pterysk
The Canadian saxophone quartet Quasar, based in Montreal, operates under the artistic and organizational leadership of Marie-Chantal Leclair. The ensemble has long focused on the performance and development of repertoire for this instrumentation, with an emphasis on presenting works by contemporary North American and international creators. On a global scale, the ensemble is acclaimed for its technical sovereignty and conceptual approach, which relies on close collaboration with composers. Alongside its concert activities, it is also dedicated to organizing masterclasses and workshops for composers and performers. The quartet's activities and international tours are supported long-term by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ).
In the second part of the opening evening, the ensemble will present a program consisting of compositions authored by Émilie Girard-Charest, Florence Tremblay, Eduardo Caballero, and Amy Brandon. The conclusion of the concert will belong to the world premiere of a saxophone quartet by Czech composer and improviser Michal Wróblewski, which was commissioned by the festival.