Oktopus is a leading presence on the Canadian intercultural music scene, with over 350 performances to its credit at home and abroad. The octet primarily devotes itself to klezmer music, while taking a distinctive approach that incorporates elements from the classical, Québécois, and jazz repertoires. Acclaimed for its high-quality performances and intricate arrangements, Oktopus has garnered several local and international awards over the years.
The group’s passionate, virtuoso performances are sprinkled with humour and narrative. Melancholy tunes that reflect persecution over the centuries entwine with boundless celebration. While the group’s arrangements and performances are undeniably rooted in the klezmer tradition, they also branch out in several directions, weaving in compositions by Brahms, Kodály, or Mahler, Quebecois songs and even jazz improvisation. Respect for different traditions and for authenticity, and the desire to bring people together through music lies at the heart of Oktopus’ artistic approach.
After its 2014 debut album, Lever l’encre, in 2017, Oktopus released Hapax, which received nominations for a Juno Award and Canadian Folk Music Award. In 2021, the group released its third album, Créature, which earned it nominations for a Félix Award (Gala de l’ADISQ), Canadian Folk Music Awards, and Opus Award. In the spring of 2025, Oktopus launched its latest album Brahms, Balkans & Bagels. Behind this light-hearted title lies an uncommon project that interweaves and ignites both classical and Eastern European folk music.
In 2019, Oktopus won the “special prize for the most creative fusion of ancient and contemporary music traditions,” at the Slovak Radio’s International Competition of Folk Music Recordings in Bratislava, a first prize for Canada in this competition. In 2023, the group’s video recording of Ilse Weber’s Wiegala, composed while in the concentration camp at Theresienstadt, received the Bubbe Awards’ People’s Choice Award for “Best Jewish Music Video.” This distinction is awarded on an annual basis by the Brazilian Jewish Music Institute.
The Oktopus octet was formed in 2010 on the initiative of clarinetist Gabriel Paquin-Buki, who is also the creator of the group’s arrangements and of some of its compositions.
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