Denis Brott is nothing if not resilient. Against the longest of odds, Brott kicks off his 30th Montreal Chamber Music Festival this weekend.

More than 40 acclaimed classical musicians from around the planet will partake in this anniversary edition, which runs from Saturday until June 22 and features 15 concerts, mostly taking place at Salle Bourgie.

“We’re celebrating celebrations this year with some special concerts: National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21), the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War (June 18), the 40th anniversary of the establishment of this country’s Musical Instrument Bank (June 16) and, of course, our 30th anniversary, among other celebrations,” notes the ever-upbeat Brott, the festival’s founder and artistic director and also the co-founder, along with William Turner, of the Musical Instrument Bank.

But Brott doesn’t mince words in talking about the issues, hardly celebratory, he has confronted over the last 30 years — particularly in the last five years:

“It’s been quite the roller-coaster ride — and not always a good one.”

To say the least.

Although it’s hard to imagine this Renaissance man — also a master cellist and music professor — ever embarking on a roller-coaster ride, the analogy is apt. But many would argue it’s downright miraculous that he has managed to keep this festival afloat at all, let alone attracting the world-class talent he has this year.

It was just five years ago that physicians gave Brott little chance of survival — less than 10 per cent — after returning home from a series of European........

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