AXEL STRAUSS and LUC BEAUSÉJOUR

German violinist Axel Strauss, equally passionate about teaching and performing, joined the faculty of the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in 2012. Prior to moving to Montreal he served as Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Axel Strauss won the international Naumburg Violin Award in New York in 1998. Later that same year he made his American debut at the Library of Congress in Washington DC and his New York debut at Alice Tully Hall. Since then he has given recitals in major US cities, including Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles and San Francisco. In 2007 he was the violinist in the world premiere of “Two Awakenings and a Double Lullaby” – written for him by Pulitzer Prize winning composer Aaron Jay Kernis.

Mr. Strauss has performed as soloist with orchestras in Budapest, Hamburg, New York, Seoul, Shanghai, Bucharest, San Francisco and Cincinnati, among others. He has collaborated with conductors such as Maxim Shostakovitch, Rico Saccani, Joseph Silverstein, and Alasdair Neale. Mr. Strauss has also served as guest concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic as well as the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

Never short of ideas when it comes to offering concert programs imbued with authenticity and refinement, Luc Beauséjour is an exceptional harpsichordist and organist.

“The naturalness of his harpsichord playing, the remarkable attention he gives to proportions and to a singing quality have made him a one-of-a-kind artist.” (Le Devoir)

He is a highly sought-after musician not only for his virtuosity and the subtlety of his playing, but also for his outgoing personality and the ease with which he communicates with his audiences. Luc Beauséjour leads a very active concertizing career. He has performed as soloist in North and South America as well as in Europe. He was named “2003 Performer of the Year” by the Conseil Québécois de la Musique and has won Félix awards for two different recordings at the Gala de l’ADISQ in Québec (2002 and 2006). His love of Bach’s music has led him to perform the Cantor’s works for harpsichord and for organ almost in their entirety. Beauséjour has carried out over 35 recording projects, either as soloist or as musical director. He has collaborated with many internationally acclaimed artists, including Julie Boulianne, Karina Gauvin, Shannon Mercer, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, James Ehnes, Hélène Guilmette, Philippe Sly, and Hervé Niquet.

Since 1994, he has been the artistic director of the ensemble Clavecin en Concert, an organization whose mission is to promote music written for the harpsichord both as a solo instrument and as part of an orchestra. Teaching is also an important part of Beauséjour’s musical activities. He is a music professor at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal and at the Université de Montréal.

Concert program
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Sonate no 4 for violin and harpsichord, in C minor, BWV 1017
Sonate no 5 for violin and harpsichord, in F minor, BWV 1018
Sonate no 6 for violin and harpsichord, in G major, BWV 1019

Broadcast live from Off-Festival Bach, Montreal
on December 4, 2020 at 5:00pm – Available until December 11

To purchase your online ticket visit: https://quebecbaroque.com

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