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Telephone: (514) 570-4846
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We know that the hardest part is to find the perfect music, so we have put together many playlists for your next program. Singles, Pairs, Ice Dance, Synchro, Artistic Swimming, Rhythmic Gymnastics and more! Updated weekly.
Dare to perform to music that gives you chills. Figure skating is a show — be the star!
Discover our playlists and amazing collaborators now CLICK HERE
From Karl Hugo the composer and performer :
This is a vibrant piano and cello duet. See Feeling Mathieu Caron drawing the cover in front of your eyes! This beautiful single cover is based on the costume he designed for Shoma Uno and especially for his most recent free skate for which I composed and performed the instrumental sections found on the single. The entire program was conceived by the choreographer, David Wilson, and the music designer, Hugo Chouinard, my partner in figure skating music.
Now available on Spotify and Apple Music
Beautiful example of how composing can enhance your figure skating program. Created in collaboration with our brilliant composer Karl Hugo
Quote from Karl Hugo:
“Find Me Free Dance, a true masterpiece on ice! What a great experience to create music live with Guillaume at my studio to really bring their vision to life! Happy to have put my talents as composers, arrangers and multi-instrumentalist at the service of these two ice butterflies, always in collaboration with my partner Hugo Chouinard from Sk8mix. Thanks to the wonderful Ice Academy of Montreal 😊🙏🎹”
The full Free Dance
Six screens, audio tracks everywhere and music that is constantly playing… Welcome to the world of Hugo Chouinard, the sound designer who creates the arrangements for all the biggest synchronized skating teams. Today, we’re discovering HIS world!
The new synchronized skating season has already begun in a soundproofed studio in his house. Every year, this is where a large number of musical programs are born. Each season, Hugo Chouinard, from Quebec Province (CAN) creates about 200 arrangements for synchronized skating and more than 2,000 for figure skating.
“It started in my parents’ house when I was a teenager,” recalls this music enthusiast, who studied design. “One day, someone told me that if I put my passions together, I would never feel like I was working again,” he smiled. In 1999, he finished his baccalauréat and everything started there. “Little by little, I started working with skaters and people began to trust me”, says Hugo.
He knows very well the ice skating world because he practiced ice dance for many years with his partner, finishing 4th at the 1993 World Junior Championships in Seoul, Korea, and even coached Les Suprêmes for four years.
Marigold IceUnity, Haydenettes, Helsinki Rockettes, Skyliners, Finettes… all these come to create their musical program. Not to mention, of course, Quebec’s local teams, like The Suprêmes or Nova. “Each coach has his or her own way of working. We experiment, we try things together,” explains Hugo, who works in video-conference with coaches from all over the world.
When they come to see Hugo, some synchro coaches already have very precise ideas, others already have some specific music in mind. And then starts the creation. “The sky is the limit,” the musical designer whispers. This “magician”, as some people call him, can count on his associate Karl, who is a composer and multi-instrumentalist.
There is no bad idea in the editing of synchro music. “It can start from anything: a piece, a concept, a story… everything is possible,” says Hugo, who recalls the music of the Helsinki Rockettes called Alarm. “We had a lot of fun finding music and effects which sounded like the end of the world, of disaster,” he says.
“Ice skating is evolving and we are going in the right direction with synchro skating. We need to bring a younger audience into the arenas. We should bring flavour to the sport and make it accessible to a larger public. In synchro, we always know how to create stories full of contrasts, surprises and really true moments. It’s like creating a four minutes movie,” he says.
He knows all the themes before everyone else
How does he feel when, for the first time, he hears his music used by a team? “This is magic – a great moment. For months, I imagine this in my head. Sometimes, I understand why a coach insisted so much on those few seconds. He wanted to create an effect. The music is at the service of the skaters, it makes it possible to mark moments and increase the GOE’s. Each piece is a jewel and is unique,” says Hugo.
Sometimes music (or parts of music) can change in the middle of the season. “Sometimes you have 30 different versions because it’s easier to change the music than the skaters,” he smiles.
While for several weeks the world stopped because of the pandemic, Hugo is still positive. “We are not too far behind schedule, because everyone is working hard by using video sessions,” explains the music designer, who is currently working on the music for several major international synchro teams. “The concepts have already been chosen, but I can’t tell you any more. The stakes are high. So we must keep the secrets.”
“Synchro skating always manages to surprise us”
As for whether there is a musical trend for next season, he says: “I think synchro skating never really has a trend because it always manages to surprise us with an infinite number of themes. Maybe, for next season, with what we have just been through, the synchro coaches would like to add hope into the programs. A form of spirituality and good vibrations, showing that positive, and not only negative things, came from the pandemic,” he tells us.
If all of a sudden, two teams had the same idea or the same music, Hugo would ask them, keeping the competitors’ anonymity, if they want to talk to each other about their choices. “It was the case with the music of The Greatest Showman,” he says
Karl Hugo performs his new composition “Your Last Kiss” specially created for Japanese figure skating champion Shoma Uno. This piano piece is part of Shoma’s free program based on the concept of choreographer David Wilson and Hugo Chouinard, Karl’s partner in figure skating music for many successful years.
This is a gift that Karl Hugo wishes to offer to Shoma Uno’s fans and to all lovers of piano and figure skating music. Your Last Kiss is composed, performed and produced by Karl Hugo
© 2019 Musivarts Publishing ℗ 2019 Karl Hugo Music
Sk8mix is 2 studio in one to give you the very best of editing and composing. Hugo is the editing wizard and Karl the brilliant composer, both passionate of figure skating.
The full program
Hugo shares his expertise on the importance of the music selection process and editing in relation to the choreography.
The second half of the webinar highlights his collaboration with Karl Hugo a world-renowned musician who can compose, arrange and perform original soundtracks to take your skating program to the next level.
If you have any questions or if you need help with your next skating music project, contact us.
Enjoy!
Our composer Karl Hugo is passionate about Figure Skating.
Loneliness affects everyone, whether you are single or not. To illustrate this, pianist and songwriter Karl Hugo joined forces with “The Voice of China” sensation Junshu Zheng, ice dance champions Shiyue Wang & Xinyu Liu, as well as the renowned choreographer Marie-France Dubreuil to create a one-of-a-kind music video. It is gratifying to see that unifying and positive projects like “I Feel Lonely” are still possible today. Such initiatives must be shared with everyone in order to encourage harmony and prevent people from feeling lonely. Full credit and thanks are in the end credits.
To enjoy 4K quality, click on the little cog wheel at the bottom right and select 2160p 4K quality.
I Feel Lonely is written/produced by Karl Hugo and performed by Junshu Zheng
© 2020 Musivarts Publishing ℗ 2020 Karl Hugo Music and HIFIVE Music
Pierre-Hugues “Hugo” Chouinard is the man behind the musical arrangements of many of the world’s top competitors. He also prepares music for Skate Canada’s national and international events, as well as the Thank You Canada Tour, Stars on Ice and All that Skate. Chouinard sat down with IDC to share an in-depth look at his career on and off the ice. In addition to the article below, he shared with us a Youtube playlist of some of his ice dance projects.
Tell us about your journey from a competitive skater to music maestro.
My first contact with the ice was at age 5, and quickly my path was oriented towards ice dance. My partner Elizabeth [Hollett Shackett] and I climbed the ladder until the 1993 World Junior Championships in Seoul, Korea where we finished 4th. It was a particularly effervescent era for Canadian ice dance, training every day with inspiring athletes like Shae-Lynn [Bourne], Victor [Kraatz], Marie-France [Dubreuil], Patrice [Lauzon] and so many more. I retired from the competition at the end of the 1995 season when my partner and I had reached our goal of being members of the senior national team, and it was time to move on to new adventures.
How long have you been creating music?
As a child, I always had an interest in music and mixing consoles, so early on I started making my own skating mixes. My coaches at the time were Josée Picard, Eric Gillies and Julie Marcotte. One morning after training, they said they were impressed with my creations and they wanted me to do the mixes for their athletes.
Who was the first person that you created/developed the music arrangement for?
I started with a multitrack tape recorder and Bruno Marcotte was my first client. I still remember that he wanted to skate to the Havana movie soundtrack. Remember that neither emails nor the internet were part of our lives in 1993, so everything was done by phone or the skaters came to my parents’ house because I was still a teenager. There was no social media. Word of mouth was the only way to let people discover my young project, but quickly the demand exceeded my resources. A year later I acquired one of the first computer multi-channel studio recording, editing and mastering systems. I was ready to face new challenges.
When you retired from skating, did you immediately move forward with creating music arrangements full-time?
At that time, the studio was growing, but it was still a sideline. For four years, I completed a university degree in industrial design where I learned a lot about entrepreneurship, art, marketing and creation. It was one of my teachers who opened my eyes saying that the day I could gather all my passions to make it a job, that I would never work again. I understood that skating, music and creation would be my dream job.
For almost 10 years, I worked with customers in the Montreal area. I did editing experiments and sound tests in the arenas to refine the texture. I spent my weekends at music stores to discover new artists, because I had given myself the mission of expanding the musical landscape in the skating world by helping athletes and coaches to find inspiring gems.
Tell us about one cooperation that particularly impacted your journey.
In 2003, I started collaborating with David Wilson, who thought me a lot about his vision of the movement in relation to music and his way of telling a story on the ice. He trusted me to create programs for Jeffrey Buttle, Joannie Rochette, Marie-France and Patrice, Yuna Kim. He opened the door to me on the international scene and I was ready and motivated to bring a wind of change. This was the turning point and the beginning of many exciting collaborations with passionate people from around the world.
How does your experience as an ice dancer help you when creating/developing music for today’s competitors?
My 16 years on the ice allowed me to easily understand the needs of my clients, because to tell the truth, when I hear music, I invent choreographies in my head. Each project is a new challenge and my goal is to understand the concepts that athletes or choreographers want to create and bring them to life. Again, this season I collaborate with new people from whom I learn about their perception of music, because it’s a very personal feeling.
What are your sources of inspiration?
Any music that makes me imagine someone skating! It’s very clear in my mind if a piece of music has the potential to support a skating performance. Frequently, I hear a piece and I see who would be good performing to it. Not long ago, it was frustrating to be in a restaurant and hear a beautiful song, because apart from asking the server to check what is the title in his playlist, the chances of finding it was limited. Now with Shazam, anywhere becomes a continuous source of inspiration, especially when traveling while your mind is wide open. Watching other artistic sports is a great way to put things in perspective to bring new influences to the world of figure skating. Shows, movies, radio, the shopping mall, I always keep my ears ready to discover a new masterpiece, even in an elevator – you never know!
How important do you think the music choice and arrangement is when it comes to a team’s overall performance/package?
The choice of concept and music is crucial for both the athlete and the spectator. You cannot convey the emotion of music that you do not feel deeply from the inside. You could not imagine going to a musical where the performer would be cold and emotionless. Skating is an extremely technical sport, but it is also a show that must reach an audience. You have to tell and perform your story.
Describe the process of designing/creating music for an ice dance team?
The dancers are very involved in the whole creative process and each team has its own way of working. Some do all their musical research and preliminary editing, others ask me for help to find music and advice to develop their concept and structure. Very often we collaborate with my partner, Karl Hugo, to compose additions or complete program sections.
Once the choice of concept is made, the structure of the assembly is decisive. The order of the musical parts, the sections you keep and the more complex, the transitions, will make the whole music product be memorable or not. The musical montage is the backdrop of the whole season, the reflection of the personality of the athlete. We put a lot of emphasis on the costumes, but even with the best coat, if the emotion is not at the rendezvous, the whole season will be tasteless.
Ice dancing pays particular attention to the preparation of musical montages. The history of the program is the thread and no second is neglected. The order and duration of the elements, the tempo, the intensity and the orchestration, everything is carefully thought out.
In ice dance, the season usually starts very early and sometimes World Championships competitors have prepared their music for the next season even before they leave for Worlds.
How did your partnership with composer Karl Hugo come to fruition?
It’s funny because Karl started composing from computer systems in the early 1990’s and that’s when we met because I made him compose my free dance. Karl is a multi-instrumentalist who can write and play scores for an impressive variety of instruments and styles. He began playing on the piano as a child, creating his first concerto when he was barely a teenager.
He already loved figure skating at the time and has developed an expertise to create arrangements that inspire movement on the ice. Like me, Karl has boundless patience to adjust details until athletes, choreographers and coaches are fully satisfied. It’s like costume adjustments, our job is to make the music comfortable, aesthetic and structured according to the needs of the skaters to maximize the score. Through the years, we’ve developed and refined our own recipe to create unique and personalized programs. I’m always amazed by his work, professionalism and how he pushes the limits year after year.
On average, how many times is music revised over the season?
For athletes on the international scene, especially in dance, it is very common for music to be adjusted between each Grand Prix and until the end of the season. If you pay attention, you will be able to notice the nuances on certain montages from one competition to another. So far, the record version on a free dance is the 54th, but I will not tell you for whom LOL!
Tell us about your work with synchronized skating.
I am obviously very attached to the world of the dance, but synchro skating is also a discipline for which I have a particular love because I coached junior and senior teams for four years. It’s a completely different way to create but in the end, I try to cross all my experiences, even from artistic swimming, so I can bring new trends and make benefit all the 5 disciplines.
While our readers may know you more for your work with the skaters on their program music, tell us about your work outside the competitive arena.
Although it still involves the ice, I design the background music playlist for national events and ISU competitions when they come to Canada. I also DJ the playlists during the events. It’s a thoughtful process and I make my selections according to each disciplines and live crowd energy. I will be in Montreal, which will be my third Worlds.
I also travel just to go cheer for my clients and to listen to the final result, so I can hear what can be improved. I was in Shanghai and Saitama.
What advice would you give to athletes who are trying to develop their own style with their music choices?
Even though a new wave has started and I find it really exciting, I still feel resistance to daring concepts that would be outside the box. My best advice is to listen to your feelings and express yourself. Skate to music that fills your soul. If you have an original idea, push it without fear because skating is also entertainment and it can only benefit the popularity of our adored sport. Your musical montage is the backdrop of your performances, it is the reflection of who you are. Dare and be proud!
Do you have any final thoughts you would like to share?
When I look back, I feel very lucky of the journey accomplished. People do not realize the scale, even I can’t imagine all the collaborations, but I have more than 46,000 programs created since the beginning of this adventure. Teamwork and passion is my source of creative energy. Loyalty and trust motivate me to always surpass myself for the athletes. I’ve been on the ice; I know how it feels when the music is lifting you. Cheers to my clients from around the world, because we are designing this wonderful skating soundscape together. Thanks for always inspiring me.
Exclusive behind the scenes footage from Karl Hugo, our composer who arranged and performed the final version of the Free Dance a few weeks before 2019 Worlds in Saitama.
Full Free Dance
I’m very excited to be musically involved in this TTYCT journey.
I rarely take pictures with the athletes, but this was a very special moment for me. I’ve designed musical programs for all these wonderful people through the years.
Kaetlyn Osmond, since she was Juvenile in 2004. Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje, Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir since 2008. Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford since 2010, and Eric, you probably don’t remember that I created your Novice solo FP back in 2006! Patrick Chan, our collaboration started in 2011 and Elvis Stojko… well, 3 weeks ago. But we were part of the same National Team back in the 90’s.
You have no idea how many memorable moments you allowed me to live… and how many program versions we have created! You’ve been my motivation to become better and better… year after year, pushing the limits of our beloved sport.
For all these reasons, I must say THANK YOU FOR YOUR TRUST and THANK YOU CANADA!
This Show is one of a kind and you don’t want to miss it. Passion, originality, incredible talent, great music…and crazy dance moves! The Thank You Canada Tour from October 5th.
Online Tickets HERE
Photo by Danielle Earl
Written by Hugo Chouinard
