Articles & Reviews
Selected articles, reviews, and various coverage of Maxime Goulet’s work as a composer.
Ant, Beetle, and Cicada on Maxime Goulet’s Podium
“If truth comes from the mouths of children, then trust my granddaughter when, during the episode of the Hercules beetle, she exclaims: ‘Now, this is real music!’ It’s a characteristic that’s easy to notice: the more spectacular and richly orchestrated a piece is, the more it is celebrated; the ant, with its martial theme on trumpet and snare drum, certainly earns a spot on the podium. […] Listening to the different explorations [in The Carnival of the Insects], one understands Maxime Goulet when he told us that finding the animal-instrument associations had been great fun for him. Humor is also very present, as with the fly, where Rafael Payare pulls out a fly swatter (but misses the insect several times), and the mosquito, where the conductor pretends to have been bitten. […] All these vignettes are crafted with wit and expertise.”
– Le Devoir, Christophe Huss, Feb. 16, 2025
Maxime Goulet, Composer-Entrepreneur
“On Sunday, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM) will premiere The Carnival of the Insects, its first commission from Maxime Goulet. After winning the 2024 Juno Award for Ice Storm Symphony, the prolific composer is now firmly on track. […] For more than ten years, we have recognized Maxime Goulet’s singular talent. […] At the beginning of 2023, Maxime Goulet surprised us with Ice Storm Symphony. The recording, conducted by Jacques Lacombe, was released for the 25th anniversary of the event. ‘An important heritage recording,’ we wrote about this symphony, which we placed in the lineage of Jacques Hétu.”
– Le Devoir, Christophe Huss, Feb. 15, 2025
A Ball for Children… and All Kinds of Insects at the OSM!
“Maxime Goulet had an absolute blast composing The Carnival of the Insects. As the father of a two-year-old little one, he imagined introducing her to the various instruments of the orchestra through insects. […] The Carnival of the Insects is a nod to The Carnival of the Animals and Peter and the Wolf, works often used to introduce young audiences to classical music. […] These short movements will be interspersed with performances by actors and projections of insects, including some that are less familiar to children. All presented in a colorful staging that will delight both little ones and their parents.”
– Journal de Montréal, Sarah-Émilie Nault, Feb. 15, 2025
Classical Music JUNOs For 2024 Showcase Depth Of The Genre
“CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR, LARGE ENSEMBLE: Orchestre Classique de Montréal, Jacques Lacombe, conductor | Maxime Goulet: Symphonie de la tempête de verglas.
The Symphonie de la tempête de verglas (Ice Storm Symphony) is a substantial work of 40 minutes that defies easy categorization. The OCM and Jacques Lacombe are fully committed in their rendition of the evocative and emotionally colourful score.”
– Ludwig van Toronto, Anya Wassenberg, March 25, 2024
FIRE and ICE: The Orchestre Classique de Montreal Concludes their Season in Grandiose manner!
“Goulet’s intricate and emotive piece [Ice Storm Symphony] enraptured the audience, setting the stage for a mesmerizing musical journey in four movements. The composition begins with the haunting but gentle pattering of ice pellets that announces the storm that is brewing… As the music progresses, the orchestra’s intensity grows, mirroring the escalating ferocity of the ice storm. […] The composition masterfully conveys the overwhelming power and destructive force of nature, leaving listeners captivated by its sheer magnitude. […] Maxime Goulet’s glorious musical tribute to the 1998 Ice Storm, stands as a testament to the power of art in conveying the human experience..”
– Mountain Lake PBS, Geneviève PM Roy, June 26, 2023
A Remarkable Season Finale for the Orchestre Classique de Montréal
“[Maxime Goulet] has outdone himself. […] The treatment of orchestral material, the textures created through the layering of different timbres, the developmental arc of each movement, the dynamic balance, and the coherence of ideas—all of this demonstrates that the composer has reached a level of maturity, allowing himself to fully unleash his creativity and delve deeper into his ideas, proving what he is truly capable of. […] The conception and ideas developed in Ice Storm Symphony give the work an intrinsic musical interest that extends far beyond the narrative it presents.”
– Ludwig van Montréal, Caroline Rodgers, June 22, 2023
A Remarkable Season Finale for the Orchestre Classique de Montréal
“The music gets straight to the point with eloquence in its sonic effects and success in its melodies. The second movement, Warmth, which reflects the generosity of the Québécois people with its folk rhythms, was met with spontaneous applause. We previously highlighted the quality of this work, noting that it in some ways follows in the footsteps of Jacques Hétu within our national musical heritage, upon the release of the CD with ATMA. The world premiere in concert was a resounding success, and yes, [Ice Storm Symphony] has now firmly entered our heritage.”
– Le Devoir, Christophe Huss, June 21, 2023
Critique CD | Symphonie de la tempête de verglas
★★★★★
“La beauté terrifiante de cette catastrophe naturelle est brillamment illustrée par le premier mouvement de la symphonie, Tourmente, avec des cordes de violon et des timbales tonitruantes qui annoncent l’approche des nuages, du vent et de la tempête. Les Canadiens se sont unis en cette période de crise, comme en témoigne l’air folklorique des bois qui transparaît dans les mélodies autrement dramatiques. La longueur, l’intensité et la progression rythmique des mouvements rendent parfaitement compte de la résilience du Canada face à un événement aussi grandiose, ce qui rend les moments de deuil et d’apaisement puissants. Lumière conclut la première symphonie avec des trompettes triomphantes et des fioritures de violon − c’est l’orchestre à son meilleur.“
– La Scena Musicale, Zenith Wolfe, 18 fév., 2023
«Symphonie de la tempête de verglas», Maxime Goulet
★★★★ 1/2
“Ice Storm Symphony is his first ‘true symphony,’ a 40-minute work. And it is a major undertaking, as Maxime Goulet clearly positions himself as a successor to Jacques Hétu (Symphony No. 5, Sur les rives du Saint-Maurice), with a highly pictorial style (Noirceur’s Adagio), masterful orchestration (the sonic depiction of rain and ice, and the Turmoil coda), and a sound that is unmistakably local (Warmth, the second movement). At the same time, the finale carries a North American flair, reminiscent of John Adams. An important addition to our musical heritage, this recording is further enriched by two other beautiful compositions: What a Day and Fishing Story.”
– Le Devoir, Christophe Huss, Jan. 27, 2023
The Poetic Sunny Breaks of Maxime Goulet
“Since the beginning of the lockdown, Maxime Goulet—never short of creative ideas—has been composing 30-second micro-pieces for tenor and piano from his neighborhood in Saint-Henri. These pieces, set to poetic, almost haiku-like, weather-inspired texts, form his Micro Météo collection, available for free on YouTube. […] The format also aligns perfectly with social media, requiring only a brief moment of attention.”
– Le Devoir, Caroline Monpetit, May 21, 2020
THE FLIGHT OF THE HUMMINGBIRD, An Opera For Children
“Flight of the Hummingbird, an extraordinary opera for young audience composed by Maxime Goulet, on a libretto by Haida artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas and Barry Gilson. […] It was an instant success and many presentations were scheduled, starting with 120 concerts across British Columbia. […] Based on the book Flight of the Hummingbird – A Parable for the Environment, written and illustrated by Haida artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, the Opera is a call to action positioned in the context of climate change. In it, the animals of the forest are inspired to come together by Dukdukdiya, the Hummingbird, to save their beautiful home from a raging fire.“
– Broadway World, A.A. Cristi, May 13, 2020
Maxime Goulet and the Hummingbird
“The Quebec composer Maxime Goulet had already tackled opera with Bungalopolis (2010), an iconoclastic project that was a ‘sketch opera-cabaret,’ featuring music by five different composers based on a libretto inspired by a comic strip by Jean-Paul Eid. Far from being aimed at children, the work, with its type of humor, was intended more for ‘adolescents at heart’! In January 2020, Maxime Goulet presented The Flight of the Hummingbird, an environmental opera for today’s youth (and this time, he is the sole composer!).”
– L’Opéra, Éric Champagne, Fall 2020
ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Maxime Goulet: The Overflowing Imagination of a Composer Beyond Video Games
“While he is primarily known for his video game music, our artist of the week, Maxime Goulet, has many more tricks up his sleeve. […] An artist brimming with imagination, always in search of ideas that break away from conventional paths. […] He is carving out his niche in the music world with clever concepts that appeal to orchestras and their audiences.”
– Ludwig van Montréal, Caroline Rodgers, Nov. 19, 2018
ROCO brings music to the famous ‘Deep Blue’ chess match
“[With Checkmate!] River Oaks Chamber Orchestra will battle one of its own this weekend in a rather innovative game of chess. Composer Maxime Goulet has adapted the legendary 1997 match, in which IBM’s Deep Blue computer defeated former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, into a chess match between the 40-piece ensemble and Sacramento-based pianist Lara Downes. While the orchestra’s part is based on the moves of the victorious computer with the white pieces, the pianist’s part is based on those made by Kasparov with the black pieces.”
– HoustonChronicle, Lawrence Elizabeth Knox, Sept.19, 2018
An Exhilarating Orchestral and Visual Experience
“The idea of paying tribute to Montreal’s vibrant creative scene in the video game universe [with the Montreal Video Game Symphony] was excellent. […] Kudos to Maxime Goulet for the concept. Double kudos to Maxime Goulet and Benoit Groulx for the selection, arrangement, and orchestral and choral execution. […] The meeting of the video game world and the symphonic orchestra went remarkably well, featuring not only excellent arrangements but also clever medleys. […] Goulet aimed to illustrate diversity, and he succeeded. The two moments when the orchestra interacted with live players worked exceptionally well. [With Beach Ball Games for Orchestra] The audience in the front rows even participated collectively, playing with a giant balloon in a joyful atmosphere.“
– Le Devoir, Christophe Huss, Sept. 30, 2017
Fishing Story
“The most original piece of the evening was the creation by Maxime Goulet [Fishing Story]. A graduate of the University of Montreal who transitioned into composing video game music, Goulet once again demonstrated that he is unafraid of melody or musical storytelling. As the icing on the cake, clarinetist Kornel Wolak took on an acting role in a cleverly scripted piece.”
– Le Devoir, Christophe Huss, Feb. 26, 2014
Symphonic Chocolates
“Composer Maxime Goulet has teamed up with Geneviève Grandbois to create Symphonic Chocolates, four orchestral movements to be enjoyed while tasting assorted chocolates! The undeniably original idea is supported by skillful music that is immediately enjoyable and very cinematic, in the vein of light music. The disc is sold with a metal box containing four chocolates.”
– Le Devoir, Christophe Huss, Feb. 14, 2014