Pianist Christian Blackshaw in quintet with OM chamber musicians LiveEvents March 16, 2025 55 Bourgie Hall presents Christian Blackshaw in quintet The great pianist Christian Blackshaw, a Bourgie Hall regular, will join OM chamber musicians to perform three of the most beautiful pieces for small ensembles by Mahler, Franck and Dvořák. Artists Christian Blackshaw, piano A deeply passionate and sensitive pianist, Christian Blackshaw is celebrated for the incomparable musicianship of his performances. His playing combines tremendous emotional depth with great understanding. Born in Cheshire, England, he studied with Gordon Green at the Royal College Manchester and Royal Academy London, winning the gold medals at each. He then became the first British pianist to study at the Leningrad Conservatoire with Moisei Halfin and later worked closely with Sir Clifford Curzon in London. He has performed worldwide and in festivals as recitalist and soloist with many renowned conductors, including Sir Simon Rattle, Gianandrea Noseda, Sir Donald Runnicles, Herbert Blomstedt, Trevor Pinnock, Neeme Järvi and Yannick Nézet-Séguin and is the founder director of the Hellensmusic Festival which was established in 2013. His hugely acclaimed Wigmore Hall complete Mozart Piano Sonatas series was recorded for Wigmore Hall Live and released in four volumes. Critics have been unanimous in their praise, describing these “landmark” recordings as “captivating”, “magical” and “masterful”. Volume 4 was named as one of the Best Classical Recordings of 2015 in the New York Times in addition to Gramophone Magazine’s Top 50 Greatest Mozart Recordings. Recent notable performances include the Mozart cycle in Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Montreal and Snape and debuts with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin in addition to performances in the Schwetzingen, Schubertiada Vilabertran, Lerici and Edinburgh International Festivals. He was awarded an MBE for services to Music in the New Year 2019 Honours List. During 2023/24 he appears at Wigmore Hall London, Oxford International Festival, Toradze Festival Tbilisi, Salle Bourgie Montreal, Palau de la Musica Barcelona and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées Paris. He is the Artist in Residence with Orchestre Métropolitain and Yannick Nézet-Séguin for Spring 2025. String quartet from the Orchestre Métropolitain Yukari Cousineau, violin Yukari Cousineau is the principal violin of the Orchestre Métropolitain. A member of the OM since 1998, Yukari first held the position of assistant concertmaster and then associate principal viola. Yukari has been invited to play as a soloist with many Montréal-based ensembles such as the Orchestre de chambre Appassionata, with whom she performed Locatelli’s Violin Concerto No. 12, broadcast live on Radio-Canada. She has also put on some memorable performances as a soloist with the Orchestre Métropolitain, including Berg’s Violin Concerto, “To the Memory of an Angel.” Nancy Richard, violin Nancy Ricard is from the Outaouais and a graduate of the Conservatoire de musique de Gatineau. In addition to receiving a scholarship from Ottawa’s National Arts Centre, she earned a master’s degree with Denise Lupien at McGill University, graduating with great distinction. She then went on to develop her orchestral playing skills with the Verbier Festival Orchestra and the Jeunesses Musicales World Orchestra. Nancy Ricard has been playing with the Orchestre Métropolitain since 2005, where she became principal second violin in 2011. She has also been a member of the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières since 2010, and performs frequently with I Musici and other local orchestras. A chamber music enthusiast, Nancy often performs in small ensembles with her Orchestre Métropolitain colleagues and guest soloists. Elvira Misbakhova, viola A native of Tatarstan, in Russia, Elvira Misbakhova received a doctorate in music performance from the Université de Montréal in 2005. On arriving in Canada in 1999, she became principal violist of the Orchestre de l’Université de Montréal. She has performed as a soloist at various festivals and with various orchestras, most notably in Japan, Germany and Quebec. Elvira has been a violist with the Orchestre Métropolitain for nine years. She has also worked with the Trois-Rivièves and Longueuil symphony orchestras. Christopher Best, cello Born in Montreal, Christopher Best is Principal Cello of the Orchestre Métropolitain and the Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil. He has occupied the same position in other ensembles, including the Canadian Chamber Orchestra, Royal Winnipeg Ballet Orchestra, Festival de Lanaudière Orchestra, and Opéra de Montréal Orchestra. He has played frequently with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and National Arts Centre Orchestra, including appearances as Guest Principal Cello with the latter. Heard frequently on Radio-Canada/CBC and Radio de la Francophonie (Europe) as a member of the Morency String Quartet, Best has also played with the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ), Bradyworks, and Nouvel Ensemble Moderne. He is currently a faculty member at Vanier College, and previously taught at the Crane School of Music, State University of New York, as well as Vincent-d’Indy Music School. Program C. FRANCK Piano Quintet in F minor, FWV 7 DVOŘÁK Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major Op. 81, B. 155 MAHLER Quartet Movement for strings and piano in A minor Sunday, March 23, 2025 at 2:30pm To purchase your tickets, visit: www.mbam.qc.ca/en/bourgie-hall/
