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Browsing: Piano

Lebrecht Weekly | Alice Sara Ott’s Post-Chopin Approach on John Field’s Complete Nocturnes

By Norman Lebrecht on 28 March 2025 CD and Book Reviews, Lebrecht Weekly, Piano

The most influential Irishman in the history of music is not Bob Geldof, Bono, Sinead O’Connor or the Dubliners, all of whom are famous as influenza, but a fairly obscure piano salesman who awoke a sub-continent to its creative potential. John Field was born in Dublin in 1782 to Anglican parents who took him to London to work for Muzio Clementi, Beethoven’s publishing partner and piano dealer. As a rep for the wealthy Clementi, Field travelled to Paris and Vienna before settling in St Petersburg, where he starred at the new-founded Philharmonic Society. Field gave three piano lessons to Mikhail…

Orchestre Métropolitain. Photo: François Goupil

Review | Orchestre Métropolitain Delivers Three Cs of Success with Schubert’s ‘The Great’

By Michelle Assay on 28 March 2025 Classical Music, Concert Reviews, Montreal, Orchestral, Piano

In these troubling moments, music brings us what the news doesn’t. There is nothing ‘fake’ here”. Thus, a characteristically engaging Yannick Nézet-Séguin announced what he called “one of my favourite programs”: three chronologically close works, united by their shared tonality (C). The three Cs reminded me of the “Communication, collaboration and commitment” mantra of motivational speakers; add competence, confidence and consistency, and you have a fair summary of this outstanding Orchestre Métropolitain concert (heard on March 26). The Overture No. 3 by Emilie Mayer, dubbed ‘the Female Beethoven’ in her time, had as much Rossinian warmth and Mendelssohnian youthfulness as…

Cameron Crozman and Meagan Milatz. Photo: Antoine Saito

Preview | HausMusique Revives Chamber Music Within Montreal Art Deco Splendour

By Amanda Wong on 26 March 2025 Classical Music, Montreal, Piano, Strings

The first time pianist Meagan Milatz and cellist Cameron Crozman played together was for a backyard concert during the pandemic. A few years later, this collaboration blossomed from friendship into their exciting passion project, HausMusique, where select guest musicians join the duo in Montreal’s heritage venue, Le 9e, to play chamber music concerts. Le 9e is the recently-restored 9th floor restaurant-turned-event-space in the old Eaton’s Centre on rue Sainte-Catherine in Montreal. Within its luxurious Art Deco setting, the pair have managed to recreate the sort of intimate ambience similar to the house concerts first popularized in Europe during the 19th…

Happy Hour Concert: Touches modernes : Debussy, Descarries, Louie

By Newswire on 22 March 2025 Classical Music, Montreal, Newswire, Piano

Only Two Weeks Left Until The Final Happy Hour Concert of the Season! 😊 Modern Touches: Debussy, Descarries, Louie Gabrielle Gagnon-Picard, piano April 3, 2025 Joseph-Rouleau Hall (Montreal) 7 p.m. (complimentary cocktail as of 6 p.m.) For the final Happy Hour Concert of the season, discover the masterpieces of Debussy, the richness of Descarries’ compositions, and the contemporary boldness of Alexina Louie, performed with emotion and virtuosity by Gabrielle Gagnon-Picard. Let yourself be transported by her sensitive interpretation and immerse yourself in the creative power of impressionist and contemporary compositions from the past 100 years. On tour until April 29,…

Ana Sokolović & Kris Defoort Compose imposed works of the 2025 Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition

By Newswire on 20 March 2025 Canadian Music, Classical, Montreal, Music Competition, Newswire, Piano, Quebec Music, Scena Jazz

Announcement of the composers of the unpublished imposed works for the 2025 Piano Competition Semi-final Ana Sokolović – Two Studies for Piano www.anasokolovic.com A key figure in contemporary music, composer Ana Sokolović was born in Belgrade, Serbia, and has been based in Montreal since 1992. With a background in the rhythmic universe of Balkan folklore, her music is coloured with playful images and inspired by diverse artistic disciplines. Her vast repertoire is regularly performed both in Canada and internationally. According to Operabase, Sokolović is the fourth most performed female opera composer in the world in the last decade according to Operabase. Her opera, Svadba, which ‘seems to…

Fauré Quartett. Photo: Tim Kloecker

Review | Chamber Music with the Fauré Quartett

By Amanda Wong on 20 March 2025 Classical Music, Concert Reviews, Montreal, Piano, Strings

Despite the lack of works by Gabriel Fauré on the program, the Fauré Quartett (aptly named for the French composer) impressed with their remarkable playing in a well-balanced recital for the Montreal Ladies’ Morning Musical Club on March 16. This German quartet has been performing together for 30 years with the same founding members from 1995. The group consists of typical piano quartet instruments: piano (Dirk Mommertz), violin (Erika Geldsetzer), viola (Sascha Frömbling), and cello (Konstantin Heidrich). What you missed The Fauré Quartett’s repertoire has developed a “visionary, experimental” style as per the program notes, with the group playing many…

Queen, Herbie Hancock, and Barbara Hannigan named Polar Music Prize laureates

By Newswire on 18 March 2025 Arts Industry, Classical, Classical Music, Contemporary, Music Competition, Newswire, Orchestral, Piano

QUEEN, HERBIE HANCOCK AND BARBARA HANNIGAN ANNOUNCED AS 2025 POLAR MUSIC PRIZE LAUREATES Award ceremony will take place on Tuesday 27 May in Stockholm #polarmusicprize Stockholm, Tuesday 18 March: Queen, Herbie Hancock and Barbara Hannigan are today announced as recipients of the 2025 Polar Music Prize. The trio will join the roll call of trailblazing artists all bestowed with the prestigious honour, which celebrates excellence in music. The Polar Music Prize ceremony takes place on Tuesday 27 May in Stockholm at the Grand Hôtel and is broadcast live in Sweden on TV4 at 8pm (CET). For three decades, the Polar…

Pro Musica announces concert with Jaeden Izik-Dzurko

By Newswire on 15 March 2025 Canadian Music, Classical, Classical Music, Montreal, Newswire, Piano

March 30th at 3 p.m. first Cartes Blanches concert Salle Pierre-Mercure Jaeden Izik-Dzurko at the piano Montreal, March 14th , 2025. Pro Musica is delighted to announce that the first concert of its Cartes Blanches season will take place on March 30th at 3 p.m. in Salle Pierre-Mercure, Centre Pierre-Péladeau, with Canadian virtuoso Jaeden Izik-Dzurko at the piano. Program: Johann Sebastian Bach: Partita No. 4 in D major, BWV 828 Sergei Rachmaninov: 10 Preludes, Op. 23 Intermission Alexandre Scriabine: Fantasy in B minor, Op. 28 Frédéric Chopin: Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58 Winner of the Leeds International…

Intermusica signs Canadian pianist Sophia Liu

By Newswire on 10 March 2025 Arts Industry, Canadian Music, Classical, Classical Music, Piano

(NEW YORK) Monday 10 March, 2025 Intermusica New York is delighted to welcome Canadian pianist Sophia Liu to its roster for worldwide general management. At just 16 years old, Liu is quickly emerging as the most compelling pianist of her generation. Her ‘phenomenal virtuosity’ (Bachtrack), coupled with her ‘poise and authority’ (Boston Musical Intelligencer) and dynamic interpretations have captivated and mesmerised audiences worldwide. Born in Shanghai, Liu was raised in Japan until moving to Montreal at age seven to study with Dang Thai Son. She made her debut with the Cleveland Orchestra and David Robertson in 2023. Throughout the 2024/25 season, Liu appears at festivals and venues…

Lebrecht Weekly | Zlatomir Fung’s Fantasies & Stephen Sondheim’s Chamber music

By Norman Lebrecht on 7 March 2025 CD and Book Reviews, Chamber Music, Lebrecht Weekly, Piano, Strings

I love artists who attempt the impossible. Within reason, that is. I’d draw the line at someone playing the 32 Beethoven sonatas one-handed, or the 15 Shostakovich quartets without a bathroom break. But any artist who takes a piece of music beyond the limits of what I’d heard in it before gets my vote. The American cellist Zlatomir Fung has composed a fantasy on Janacek’s opera Jenufa, a feat that defies credibility. The tunes and rhythms of Jenufa are rooted in Czech speech patterns. Erase the voice, and what’s left? An X-ray. Fung and his pianist Richard Fu present fifteen…

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