Francine Kay

Pianist Francine Kay performs selected treasures of Czech music, including Leoš Janáček’s unique Piano Sonata, in addition to several of her favourite works by Debussy, Chopin, and Silvestrov.

Noted for “an extraordinary range of colour” (Montreal Gazette), and “poetic brilliance” (Toronto Star), Canadian pianist Francine Kay has performed extensively in Europe, North America, and Asia, at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center, Salle Gaveau, The National Gallery, Roy Thomson Hall, The Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, and Bargemusic. Francine Kay made her New York debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall as the winner and Recitalist of the Year of the New York Pro Piano Competition.

“Here was music making with beauty of sound, often exquisite delicacy, and real personality…rhythmic vitality and sparkling characterization…Kay’s Andante movement was transcendental” -The Hamilton Spectator

She has been soloist with orchestras such as the Toronto Symphony, the Princeton Symphony, New York’s West Side Chamber Orchestra, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra London, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Symphony Nova Scotia, the Victoria Symphony and Sinfonia Toronto among others, under conductors such as Georg Tintner, Mark Laycock, Nurhan Arman, Agnes Grossman, Kevin Mallon, Jonathan Yates, and Simon Streatfeild.

Francine Kay was the recipient of the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto Career Development Award, the Chalmers Award, and grants from the Canada Council.

Ms. Kay received her Bachelors and Masters degrees at the Juilliard School studying with Adele Marcus, the Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School in the master classes of Leon Fleisher, and the Doctor of Musical Arts from SUNY Stony Brook studying with Gilbert Kalish. Ms. Kay was a chamber music fellow at Tanglewood, and a participant at the Banff Centre where she participated in the classes of George Sebok and Marek Jablonski.

Francine Kay is currently on the faculty of Princeton University and is a regular faculty artist at the Zodiac Academy and Festival in the south of France.

Program
JANÁČEK
Sonate X.1.1905
SUK
Životem a snem (Things Lived and Dreamt), Op. 30
I. Allegretto moderato – “With humour and irony, agitated in place”
II. Allegro vivo – “Restless and somewhat timid, without strongly marked expression”
V. “On the recovery of my son” – Adagio – “Calm with deep emotion”
VIII. Vivace – “Delicate, warbling”
lX. Poco Andante – “Whispering and mysterious”
X. Adagio – “Dreamy”
KAPRÁLOVÁ
Dubnová preludia (April Preludes)
Valentin SILVESTROV
Three Postludes for piano, Op. 64
CHOPIN
Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52
Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20
DEBUSSY
Five Préludes:
Bruyères
Les collines d’Anacapri
La Puerta del Vino
Ondine
Feux d’artifice

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 7:30pm

To purchase your tickets, visit: www.mbam.qc.ca/en/bourgie-hall/