Piano - my/maSCENA

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Canadian Kevin Chen is among the 40 pianists selected for the 76th Geneva Competition

By Newswire on 11 April 2022 Music Competition, Newswire, Piano

40 pianists aged 16 to 29 years old from 14 countries have been selected, from 182 applicants, to take part in the 76th Concours de Genève, section piano. Pianists born after September 1st, 1992, had until 15 March to register for the 76th Concours de Genève; 182 candidates aged 16 to 29 years old from 28 nationalities (76 women and 106 men) applied for this year’s Piano Competition. Applicants included a large percentage of Asian countries (59%), followed by Europe (26%) and America (9%). The Preselection Jury, chaired by Canadian pianist Janina Fialkowska, met in Geneva from 5-8 April 2022…

Sorel-Tracy: a double anniversary

By Justin Bernard on 4 April 2022 Arts Industry, Piano, Romantic

The next few months are very busy for the Maison de la musique in Sorel-Tracy. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, there will be five major concerts and, in total, nine performances from April 10 to June 4, including the complete Rachmaninoff works for piano on April 22 and 23, and a concert dedicated to Tárrega’s guitar pieces on May 1. In addition, there’s the 20th annual classical music provincial competition, which Rachel Doyon, artistic and general director, established in 2003 while she was director of Sorel-Tracy’s Chamber of Commerce. From the oldest to the youngest “Oliver Jones, Michel Donato, André…

Letter: Russia’s Cultural War Against Ukraine – A Montreal Story

By Letters Lettres on 18 March 2022 Arts Industry, Orchestral, Piano

Letter to the Editor by Nadia Demko Congratulations to Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (OSM) and the Montreal Ukrainian community for standing up for the oppressed in Ukraine. Simon Brault, Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts said it best. “The real victims are in Ukraine, not on our stages.” Although it may be “inconvenient” for the 20-year-old Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev to have his OSM shows cancelled, it does not compare to what Ukrainians are facing right now. What about the 20-year-old Ukrainians fighting in trenches right now to defend their lives and their homes? It is…

Curation: Montreal Symphony Replaces Russian Pianist Alexander Malofeev

By Wah Keung Chan on 9 March 2022 Arts Industry, Orchestral, Piano

Yesterday, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra announced the cancellation of Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev after several days of controversy and coverage in national TV and radio surrounding his upcoming appearance in scheduled concerts for March 9, 10 and 13. Last weekend, the Vancouver Recital Society cancelled Malofeev’s recital. Below is the official press release from the orchestra. The Montreal Gazette had good coverage of the controversy including an interview with Simon Brault, CEO of the Canada Council. On March 7, Malofeev had distanced himself from the Russian invasion of Ukraine on his Facebook page. What the audience missed: Here is Peter…

Marie-Ève Scarfone: from Montreal to Zürich

By Olivier Bergeron on 7 February 2022 Arts Industry, Opera, Piano

Over the past 20 years, Marie-Ève Scarfone has carved out an enviable place for herself on the Quebec music scene. Recognized as one of the most versatile pianists of her generation, she is known as much for her work as a vocal coach, repetiteur and chamber musician as for her work as a pedagogue. After several years of working with institutions such as the Opéra de Montréal and McGill University, performing all over the world and recording for the ATMA Classique and Analekta labels, she has chosen to continue her musical journey in Zürich. Originally from Montreal, she began her…

Antoine Laporte

Gabriel Pierné: Feuillet d’album (2021)

By Justin Bernard on 24 December 2021 CD and Book Reviews, Piano, Romantic

Gabriel Pierné: Feuillet d’albumAntoine Laporte, pianoSelf-produced with the support of CALQ (2021) The unique repertoire of this double album is reason enough to recommend it. It plunges us into the little-known musical universe of Gabriel Pierné (1863-1937), a French composer contemporary of Claude Debussy and Gabriel Fauré. The title Feuillet d’album, which appears on the cover of the box set, is also taken from Pierné’s Fifteen Pieces for the Piano. We remain in awe of the composer’s inventiveness, moving from fluid writing to more square writing, from lyricism or an almost aquatic atmosphere to a funeral atmosphere. The last piece…

Aux fenêtres du temps (Socan, 2021)

By Justin Bernard on 20 December 2021 CD and Book Reviews, Choral, Literature, Piano

Aux fenêtres du tempsClaudel Callendar, voice, piano and compositions; Maurice Carême, texts; Vox Luminosa Children’s Choir; The Young Voices of the Mills.Label: Socan (2021) For some projects, among other musical ones, the idea is sometimes more important than the result. Such is the case with this double-disc project, which translates to At the windows of time, named after a poem by the Belgian writer Maurice Carême (1899-1978). The composer and pianist Claudel Callender bring together here 33 texts by the same author that he set to music. The first part with choir immerses us in a family-type atmosphere in the…

Bruce Liu: Chopin (Deutsche Grammophon, 2021)

By Justin Bernard on 14 December 2021 CD and Book Reviews, Classical Music, Music Competition, Piano, Romantic

Bruce Liu: Chopin Bruce Liu, piano Deutsche Grammophon, 2021 Following his resounding victory at the 18th Chopin Competition last October, Montreal pianist Bruce Liu received honors from the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon label. It has released a live recording of some of its performances from the Philharmonic Concert Hall in Warsaw (Poland). The opportunity to live or relive this event that marked musical life on a planetary scale, in a world still struggling with the pandemic. It all begins with the Andante Spianato in G major in an interpretation full of grace and elegance. Bruce Liu creates a feeling of comfort…

New Releases – November 2021

By La Scena Musicale Team on 22 November 2021 Baroque and Early, Canadian Music, Chamber Music, Classical, Classical Music, Piano

Mystic Giorgia Fumanti, soprano Velenosi entertainment VEGA2CD-2942 Release: Aug. 20 Giorgia Fumanti has established herself as one of the top female classical crossover singers in the world, having performed in five continents and in some of the most prestigious and iconic venues. Fumanti’s 12th album, Mystic, is a follow-up to her No. 1 best-selling album Amour and her No. 3 best-selling album Aimons-Nous on Canada’s ADISQ charts. (Her albums have also appeared on Billboard’s Crossover Chart.) This collection includes classical hits by Ravel (Bolero), Verdi (“Va, Pensiero”), Puccini (“Nessun Dorma”), Orff (“O Fortuna”) Albinoni (Adagio), Piazzolla (Libertango), Gino Vannelli, Michel…

Photo: Marc Giguère

Upcoming concerts (November-January): Montreal

By Justin Bernard on 14 November 2021 Baroque and Early, Canadian Music, Indigenous, Opera, Orchestral, Piano

27th JAL Gala After the 2020 edition was cancelled because of the pandemic, the 27th Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques Gala is back in full force this year with no less than 30 singers. For the occasion, two dancers will accompany them in arias and ensemble numbers from the great operatic repertoire. Among the works on the programme, the public will find excerpts from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Puccini’s La Bohème, Rossini’s La Cenerentola and Verdi’s La Traviata and Rigoletto. In order to reach a larger audience, ticket prices have been reduced compared to previous editions ($12 for students and $35 for the…

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