Bourgie Hall presents

Cassard-Grimal-Gastinel Trio

Each one a master of their instrument, these three long-time collaborators bring their formidable artistry and musical prowess to the Bourgie Hall stage.

Soloists and concert artists, Philippe Cassard (piano), David Grimal (violin), and Anne Gastinel (cello) began playing as a trio in the mid-2000s. They have been invited to perform at numerous festivals and during numerous concert seasons in France, Great Britain (Wigmore Hall), Ireland (Dublin International Chamber Music Festival), Italy, Switzerland, and Canada. Their repertoire includes trios by Haydn, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Ravel, Chausson, and Fauré, in addition to Beethoven’s complete trios. Their recording on the La Dolce Volta label of Beethoven’s “Ghost” and “Archduke” trios received Diapason d’Or, Choc de Classica, and Télérama FFFF awards. In 2016, they commissioned a trio from composer and jazz pianist Baptiste Trotignon.

Artists
Philippe Cassard, piano

Philippe Cassard trained with Dominique Merlet and Geneviève Joy-Dutilleux at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. In 1982 he was awarded Premiers Prix in piano and chamber music. He rounded out his experience for two years at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna and then received guidance from the legendary Nikita Magaloff. A finalist at the Clara Haskil Competition in 1985, he won First Prize at the Dublin International Piano Competition in 1988.

Since then he has been invited to appear with the leading European orchestras (London Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Budapest Philharmonic, Danish Radio Orchestra, among others), playing under the direction of such conductors as Sir Neville Marriner, Marek Janowski, Sir Roger Norrington, Charles Dutoit, Yan-Pascal Tortelier, Armin Jordan and Vladimir Fedoseyev.

David Grimal, violin

David Grimal is a musician who enjoys an international reputation for the originality of his musical career. In his tireless quest to reflect on the role of his art in society, he juxtaposes perspectives in order to make music differently by reinventing the sense of the collective.

He is invited to perform with the leading conductors and the most prestigious orchestras in the world’s foremost venues. David Grimal is the creator of ‘Les Dissonances’, the only symphony orchestra in the world that regularly plays the standard repertory without a conductor.

Anne Gastinel, cello

Anne Gastinel won the first prize in cello at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon (CNSM) in 1986 and was admitted to the CNSM de Paris in the same year. Yo-Yo Ma, János Starker and Paul Tortelier, with whom she did postgraduate studies and who were deeply to influence her personal and musical development, already recognised in her the maturity of a unique artist. She won numerous prizes at major international competitions (Scheveningen, Prague, Rostropovich) and began to perform throughout Europe, before reaching a wide public at the 1990 Eurovision Competition. Acknowledged by its finest exponents as the ambassador of the cello, she was chosen in 1997 by Marta Casals Istomin to play for one year the mythical Matteo Goffriller that belonged to Pablo Casals.

In 2006 she received the Victoire de la Musique in the category ‘Soloist of the Year’ (after previously winning the ‘Young Talents’ and ‘Best Recording’ trophies). She now travels the world’s finest concert halls alongside orchestras, musicians and composers, with whom she enjoys exchanging ideas. A Professor at the CNSMD de Lyon since 2003, Anne Gastinel plays a Testore cello of 1690.

Guest: Juan-Miguel Hernandez, viola

The Washington Post has lauded violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez as having “the sweetest, most
resonant tone,” while the Atlanta Journal Constitution described him as “tender, lyrical, full of personality.” Recipient of the National Assembly of Quebec’s medal of honour (2010), winner of the 16th edition of the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria and of the Sphinx Competition (senior division 2006), Mr. Hernandez performs regularly worldwide as a soloist and guest artist.

A devoted chamber musician, he is a past member of the legendary Fine Arts Quartet (2013-2018), and a founding member of the Harlem Quartet (2006-2012). His musicality has led him to collaborate with
such artists as Itzhak Perlman, Lynn Harrell, Kim Kashkashian, and Gérard Caussé, as well as Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Stanley Clark, and Norah Jones.

In September 2016, Juan-Miguel Hernandez joined the faculty of the Royal Academy of Music in London as professor of viola. Since returning to Montreal, his hometown, he has held the position of visiting professor at this institution, while also teaching as a visiting professor at the Université de Montréal.

Program
SCHUBERT Piano Trio No. 2 in E-flat major, D. 929
FAURÉ Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 15

Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 7:30pm
To purchase your tickets visit: www.mbam.qc.ca/en/bourgie-hall/