Gertrude Létourneau, flutist and Catherine Donkin, pianist have collaborated in various chamber music concerts in the past few years, several of them with the Ottawa Chamber Players. After discovering their mutual passion for French music they officially created Duo Cecilia, offering a repertoire filled with French elegance and virtuosity. Duo Cecilia combines a great musical sensibility with a warm sense of presentation.
Gertrude and Catherine are comfortable engaging the listeners in their programs by making a concert an interactive experience. In December 2022, for Les Concerts Ponticello in Gatineau, Quebec, they offered ‘’When Pan meets Syrinx’’, where storytelling was an integrated part of the concert. Their new program “A Taste of Paris”,
which is being featured in several concert series and senior homes in Ottawa in 2023, compares French cuisine’s ingredients to musical ingredients.
Listeners in various concert series in the Ottawa region have enjoyed Duo Cecilia’s
appeal. Recent performances have been through Concerts in Care, an organization
which promotes classical music concerts in seniors residences. Duo Cecilia has also
performed several online concerts for the Music Performance Trust Fund through the
Musicians’ Association of Ottawa-Gatineau and in a variety of venues such as Music as
Sanctuary at St.Andrew’s, Southminster United Church, MacKay United Church,
MERA’s Blue Jeans Classical Concerts, the University of Ottawa Alumni Concerts and
private house concerts. Their programs include music from composers such as
Debussy, Ravel, Widor , Bizet, Damase, Fauré and Bonis.
English