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Montreal-based presenter and producer of classical-music concerts, Pro Musica is centring their 2025 concert series around the theme of “prodigy music.” The series will feature both performers and composers who are prodigies, the rare and inspiring people who at a very young age “develop a musicality that is specific to mature musicians,” explains Artistic Director Irina Krasnyanskaya. As a pianist and piano professor, Krasnyanskaya has worked with gifted young musicians for many years. “I find it very inspiring to watch them grow, to help them with the path,” she says.
Krasnyanskaya came up with this year’s theme at a piano-gala event she hosted last year as part of Pro Musica’s Mélodines series, which showcases young and emerging artists in Quebec. At the event, she was particularly struck by pianist Sophia Shuya Liu, and decided to engage her extensively in this year’s season. “She impressed me so much with her amazing level of maturity and professionalism that I absolutely decided to give her more space and time,” says Krasnyanskaya. Liu, who has been playing in and winning competitions since she was about five years old, is what Krasnyanskaya calls a “typical prodigy.” Prodigies, she explains, “start to listen to themselves” at a young age. “They have a better understanding of music, and of the professional approach to performance,” she says.
Sophia Shuya Liu Photo: Kinosaki Hiroaki
Not all prodigies, however, started very young. Lucas Debargue, a world-renowned pianist and composer who will be performing with Pro Musica this season, started studying independently at the age of 10, which is “quite late for someone with a professional career,” says Krasnyanskaya. “Often, we see musicians starting at two and three years old and are already very advanced by 10 years old. At 17 years old, (Debargue) already stood out at a lot of international competitions. He’s an incredibly fascinating and truly one-of-a-kind musician.” Since Debargue already shines as a star on the international music scene, Krasnyanskaya didn’t have to look far to scout him out. Cyrille Angers, on the other hand, was discovered by Krasnyanskaya, who first spotted him playing at the OMNI Music Competition. She was particularly struck by the sense of freedom in Angers’s flute playing. “It is not often that we hear a flutist perform as a soloist, with a strong personality,” says Krasnyanskaya.
Cyrille Angers Photo: Doo Yul-Kim
Another outstanding performer in this year’s season is Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, winner of the 2024 Concours musical international de Montréal. As soon as Krasnyanskaya found out about his win, she absolutely wanted to have him in Pro Musica’s season. “He is a very special musician who has already impressed the audience in Montreal,” she says, “and we are very honoured to have him in our 2025 season.”
Jaeden Izik-Dzurko Photo: Waldy Martens
Upcoming Pro Musica concerts include: pianist Sophia Shuya Liu on Feb. 12 and March 2; flute and piano duo Cyrille Angers and Bruce Gaulin on March 12; pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko on March 30; and duo Sergey Khachatryan, violinist, and Lusine Khachatryan, pianist, on May 18. www.promusica.qc.ca
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