Potential new American customs tariffs have already been applied to Quebec and Canadian artists for several decades.
This period of uncertainty, fueled by tariff threats from the United States, adds to the already difficult reality for the majority of Quebec artists. It generates palpable anxiety, because they must survive with salary conditions well below what their skills and expertise should legitimately earn them. I deliberately use the word “survive”, because this is indeed the reality that most of the artists in our territory live.
When we read the articles which report the promises of our prime ministers, who assure that they will “take care of us” during this period of turbulence, we wonder why these same officials have not yet put in place measures to address the blatant injustice that has existed for decades between the United States and Canada in the arts.
High-priced visas
In fact, for a Canadian to give a concert in the United States, they need a work visa. A special visa, the P2, intended for Canadians, is issued by the American Federation of Musicians, of which the Guild of Musicians of Quebec is a member. You should know that the delays in obtaining a P2 according to the regular process have recently increased to reach up to 10 months.
The costs, for their part, are US$510 + CA$125. It is possible to submit a Premium application and obtain a visa within 30 days. The costs then increase to US$510 + US$2805 + CA$150.
Concretely, for any Quebec musician, these costs and delays mean that one must give up any prospect of engagement in the United States, even if this could be a valuable opportunity to develop a project, a career, or to make oneself known. It should be noted that the classical music market is dominated by large American and English agencies, two countries where Canadians cannot work freely without a visa.
For a musician at the start of his career who often does not receive large salaries, an engagement in the United States involves considerable costs, between the visa, travel and all other associated costs, making the project largely loss-making. Some musicians can afford it, the majority cannot.
Quebec and Canada certainly offer partial aid in the form of grants of $1000 to $1500, but the process is complex and the majority of applications are rejected. For my part, after several consecutive refusals a few years ago, I stopped submitting my applications, discouraged by the cumbersome process.
Result: I made the decision to no longer actively work on projects in the United States for several years, because in any case, I could not guarantee employers or partners that my visa would arrive in time for the concert dates . And entering American soil without a visa to give a concert could lead to dramatic consequences. I can’t even imagine the repercussions of such an act on a career.
When I am invited to the United States today, I have two options: either announce to my employer that I will take charge of the entire visa procedure and its costs, which will protect my competitiveness vis-à-vis -vis of another American artist; or inform my employer of the risks associated with this hiring, namely the uncertainty regarding obtaining a visa and the considerable costs, which could amount to several thousand dollars. Most orchestras and festivals have neither the staff nor the resources to manage these complications and therefore prefer to turn to American artists who will save them this hassle.
We don’t ask as much of American artists who come here
On the other hand, in Canada, American artists are not required to have a visa to work there, nor even to pay taxes here, unlike Europeans. The American arts industry already considers Canada its 51e State, and Canadian industry, through its passivity, grants it this status.
In reality, we have become a branch of the American arts industry. Major Canadian orchestras employ primarily American artists and those represented by agencies based in the United States, New York or elsewhere. The same goes for major festivals. Remember that these major cultural entities receive substantial federal and provincial subsidies. In other words, the Canadian state and the Quebec state indirectly subsidize the massive commitment of American artists.
-American hegemony on the artistic market is so dominant that, for a Canadian or Quebec artist to be truly considered a leading artist by a Canadian institution, he must be represented by a major American agency such as Opus 3. , IMG, or others. The major Canadian orchestras may deny my remarks, but you only need to take a look at their websites to see the veracity of my observations.
I’m not even talking about the fees that these same entities offer to local artists compared to those they pay to American artists of comparable quality… It would suffice to say that there is one more zero to the left of the comma for American artists.
It is therefore with great sincerity that I ask our governments to include us in their economic rebalancing measures towards the United States, even if the new customs tariffs do not materialize. I am convinced that by reducing the systematic commitment of American artists, we will offer our local artists the opportunity to prove their talent on the national stage, and to propel themselves towards an international career without having to expatriate, as I I had to do it to lay the foundations for my future.
Photo Chantal Poirier/ Le Journal de Montréal
Alexandre Da Costa
Conductor and solo violinist
Artistic director and head chef | Quebec Philharmonic Orchestra
Premier chef I invited | Sinaloa Symphony Orchestra of the Arts
Artistic Director | Stradivaria Festival
PDG | Groupe StradEdgy Group inc.
