In 2015 the French pianist Lucas Debargue became the most talked-about artist of the 15th International Tchaikovsky Competition.

Despite being placed 4th, his muscular and intellectual playing, combined with an intensely poetic and lyrical gift for phrasing, earned him the coveted  Moscow Music Critics’ Award as ”the pianist whose incredible gift, artistic vision and creative freedom have impressed the critics as well as the audience”. He was the only musician across all disciplines to do so.  Soon after the competition Debargue was signed by Sony Classical, and recorded a live recital for his debut release with music by Scarlatti, Chopin, Liszt and Ravel in his native city of Paris.

Debargue was born in 1990 in a non-musical family. In 1999 he settled in Compiègne, about 90km north of Paris and began his initial piano studies at the local music school at the age of 11.

At 15 Debargue ceased piano studies having found no musical mentor to help him share his passion with others and having become frustrated at playing solely for himself. He began to work, successfully for his Baccalaureate at a local college and joined a rock band. At 17 he relocated to the capital to study for a degree in Arts and Literature at Paris Diderot University and, remarkably, ceased playing the piano altogether for three years.

In 2010 he was asked to play at the Fête de la Musique festival in Compiègne, and this marked his return to the keyboard. Shortly after he was put in touch with his current mentor and guide, the celebrated Russian professor Rena Shereshevskaya, who is based at both the Rueil-Malmaison Conservatory and the École Normale de Musique de Paris ‘Alfred Cortot’. Seeing in Debargue a future as a great interpreter, Professor Shereshevskaya admitted him into her class at the Cortot School to prepare him for grand international competitions. It was at the age of 20 when Debargue started formal piano training.

A performer of fierce integrity and dazzling communicative power, Debargue draws inspiration for his playing from many disciplines, including literature, painting, cinema and jazz. The core piano repertoire is central to his career, but he is also keen to present works by lesser-known composers such as Nikolai Medtner, Samuel Maykapar and Nikolai Roslavets.

He may have been “the star no one saw coming” (Verbier Festival), but Lucas Debargue now tours the world, his celebrity preceding him everywhere. He now performs sold-out concerts in the most prestigious venues – solo recitals and concertos with Valery Gergiev and other A-list conductors.

His Montreal program reflects the many facets of his immense talent:
Scarlatti:  2 sonatas – A major and D minor –
Chopin: Scherzo No. 1 and 2; – Barcarolle in F sharp major – “Heroic” Polonaise
Fauré: 2 Barcarolles – A minor and A flat major
Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit

Lucas Debarque will perform at Maison Symphonique on December 9, at 8pm. For tickets, please call Place des Arts Box Office: 514-842-2112 or www.placedesarts.com