Founded in 1994, Nicolas Caloia’s Ratchet Orchestra releases its first title, recorded live at La Sala Rossa in November 2007. Featuring 30 of Montréal’s finest improvisors, including Gordon M Allen, Chris Burns, Alexandre Grogg, Pierre Labbé, Philippe Lauzier, Damian Nisenson, Jean René, Sam Shalabi, and Joshua Zubot, the Ratchet Orchestra lolls between the sublime and the ridiculous.

After a huge success at the Suoni Per Il Popolo festival last summer, the Ratchet Orchestra will be in concert at the Jewish General Hospital in Montréal on December 1, 2008. The orchestra, who just released its first recording, features double bassist Nicolas Caloia as well as thirty of Montréal’s finest improvisers. Not to be missed!

The Trepanated Quintet, double bassist Nicolas Caloia’s newest group featuring Jean Derome, Guillaume Dostaler, Kenny Doolittle and Robert Kraft, will be in concert at L’envers in Montréal on November 27, 2008.

The next Mercredimusics will host Lori Freedman, Nicolas Caloia and Bernard Falaise on October 8, 2008 at Casa Obscura in Montréal.

On June 24, 2008 at festival Suoni Per Il Popolo: the Ratchet Orchestra with Jean Derome, Nicolas Caloia, Gordon Krieger, Sam Shalabi, Damian Nisenson, Chris Burns, Bryan Highbloom, John Heward, Philippe Lauzier, Robert Kraft, Pierre Labbé, Gordon M Allen, Brian Lipson, Eric Lewis, Thea Pratt, Jacques Gravel, Noah Countability, Joshua Zubot, Kate Lawrence, Jean René, Gen Heistek, Anni Lawrence, Norsola Johnson, Alexandre Grogg, Ken Doolittle, Bruce Cawdron, Michel Bonneau.

In a recent press release we could read that “The MAI presents Éclats nocturnes, a multidisciplinary event, as part of the Accès Asie Festival. This collectively created piece uses Khosro Berahmandi’s enigmatic and meditative paintings as point of departure: performer and choreographer Geneviève La, musicians Shuni Tsou, Ziya Tabassian, Nicolas Caloia, and filmmaker Shahin Parhami will perform this unique kaleidoscopic work dedicated to the feminine.” The event takes place from May 1-3, 2008 at MAI.