Stéphan Sylvestre

Stephan Sylvestre
Stéphan Sylvestre ranks among the most sought-after and gifted Canadian pianists of the new generation and enjoys a very active performing career as recitalist, orchestra soloist and chamber musician.  Critics on both sides of the Atlantic have bestowed lavish praise on his performances:  “…his natural talent reminds one of the great Artur Rubinstein…” (La Presse, Montreal), “…somewhat reminiscent of the young Kempff” (La Scena Musicale, Canada), “… He is one of those musicians who plays a work, first, for its own sake, then for himself, and finally, for the audience, which is privileged to be witness to his search for the very heart of the work.” (Le Droit, Ottawa), “…masterly brilliant virtuosity and monumentality,” (Flovo Cultury,Czech Republic), “…such effortless simplicity is a joy.” (Edinburghguide.com), “…above any praise…” (L’Orient le Jour, Middle East).

His numerous concert tours and performances have taken place in major concert halls, universities and concert organizations throughout Canada, United States, Brazil, the Middle East, France, Italy, Scotland, England, Czech Republic, Russia and the Netherlands.  Notable venues include the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), St-Martin in the Fields (London), the St-Petersburg Conservatory (Russia), Place des Arts (Montreal), National Arts Centre (Ottawa) and Massey Hall (Toronto).  He has appeared with several Canadian orchestras including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Métropolitain and the Janacek Academy Orchestra in the Czech Republic and he has performed in the major international festivals in Canada, including Ottawa, Parry Sound, Lanaudière, Domaine Forget and Orford.  Stéphan Sylvestre is heard regularly on the French and English networks of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Suisse Romande and has performed live for the BBC in the United Kingdom.

He has collaborated with internationally renowned artists such as James Campbell, James Sommerville, Ransom Wilson, Matt Haimovitz, Martin Beaver, Corey Cerovsek, the Penderecki String Quartet, the Quatuor Arthur-Leblanc and the Alcan Quartet. He has also toured with the first chairs of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Dudu Carmel and Eyal Ein-Habar. Stéphan Sylvestre was co-founder and member of Trio Contrastes until 2002. Stéphan Sylvestre has won numerous prestigious awards including the Canadian Music Competition, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Competition and the Prix d’Europe.  In addition, he has made a lasting impression at the Dublin International Competition in Ireland. 

Stéphan Sylvestre holds a master’s degree from the Université de Montréal and an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould Professional School of the Royal Conservatory in Toronto. He has studied with Marc Durand, Leon Fleisher and Marek Jablonski, and has perfected his craft in Europe and at the University of Southern California under John Perry. His first two recordings on the Atma label were selected among Outstanding Records of the Year by Radio-Canada’s weekly record review. His third recording, a live recital of works by Martinu, Schumann, Chopin and Ravel, was also praised by critics.  His latest recording with James Campbell and James Sommerville was released on the Marquis label. Stéphan Sylvestre has taught for the Performance Department at McGill University and Sherbrooke University.  Mr. Sylvestre is currently Assistant Professor of Piano and Coordinator of the Keyboard Division at The Don Wright Faculty of Music of The University of Western Ontario. He has become one of Canada’s leading performers and pedagogues. He is regularly invited to give master classes abroad and he has been a member of several important national and international juries, including the Canadian Music Competition, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Montreal International Piano Competition.

CD recordings of Stéphan Sylvestre:

E-mail: ssylves4@uwo.ca

 

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