Matthew Leander Kalil is an interdisciplinary artist who works with text, sound, figure, space, and image. These different aspects constellate in projects for screen and stage. His work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and PRIM Centre.
He studied Philosophy (BA) at The New School and Architecture (M.Arch) at The University of Toronto.
He was a desginer at Office of Adrian Phiffer and is currently a Researcher at the Canadian Centre for Architecture.
He lives in Montréal.
All works, images, text, and any other material appearing on this website, unless otherwise stated, are
© Matthew Leander Kalil
Florentine
2026
Florentine is a short comic semi-opera, produced for the Stagefright Festival organized by Moment Theatre Collective in Montréal.
It ran two nights, 8 and 9 August 2026, at Théatre VME, Montreal.
Semi-operas reached their peak in the English Baroque, with Henry Purcell being a notable proponent. They are characterized by a more balanced mix of sung passages and spoken passages than a full opera, and the former usually occur during magical moments in the story.
Florentine follows this principle: the operatic passage—written for piano, perepelochka, two recorders, and four voices—erupts when the protagnist, an insomniac tormented by damning thoughts, begins to remember a medieval dream of kindness.
The photographs above were taken during the dress rehearsal.
The video was recorded by William Albu.
Text, Music, Sets, Direction, Production:
M. Leander Kalil
Cast:
Jackson Palmer
Loris Kecaj
Morgan Doke
Anya Kowalchuk
Costumes:
Sophie Edell
M. Leander Kalil
It ran two nights, 8 and 9 August 2026, at Théatre VME, Montreal.
Semi-operas reached their peak in the English Baroque, with Henry Purcell being a notable proponent. They are characterized by a more balanced mix of sung passages and spoken passages than a full opera, and the former usually occur during magical moments in the story.
Florentine follows this principle: the operatic passage—written for piano, perepelochka, two recorders, and four voices—erupts when the protagnist, an insomniac tormented by damning thoughts, begins to remember a medieval dream of kindness.
The photographs above were taken during the dress rehearsal.
The video was recorded by William Albu.
Text, Music, Sets, Direction, Production:
M. Leander Kalil
Cast:
Jackson Palmer
Loris Kecaj
Morgan Doke
Anya Kowalchuk
Costumes:
Sophie Edell
M. Leander Kalil