Faces of Music & Sound

Matthieu Fortin

Piano, Canada
International Keyboard Festival

Recently named a 2005 winner of CBC Galaxie’s Rising Star awards, Matthieu Fortin is a rising talent on the Canadian Music scene. Matthieu is currently enrolled in the Doctorate of Music Performance Program at the Université of Montréal, where he studies with Marc Durand and Paul Stewart. He is a prize winner of the Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec’s award, the Montreal International Music Competition, and first-prize winner of the Canadian National Music Festival and Canadian Music Competition. His performance credits include festivals and concert stages in Europe, the U.S., and Canada, and will include performances with numerous Quebec orchestras as well as on the CBC radio network in the coming year.

Matthieu first came to The Banff Centre for the 2003 summer keyboard program under the suggestion of his teacher and Banff Centre faculty member Marc Durand. That summer, he worked with Julian Martin on a selection of Beethoven works he was bringing into his repertoire. “Having been a Fleisher fellow, Julian Martin is very good with that repertoire,” he explains.

Matthieu retuned to Banff again this summer to work with Mr. Martin – but this time to polish Liszt, Chopin, Barber, and Prokofiev works already in his repertoire to prepare for a demo CD he is recording at The Banff Centre. “Of all the festivals I’ve been to, Banff is the most well-organized in every aspect. The facilities are excellent – the bedrooms, the pool, good pianos, and especially the sound engineering facilities. “Having all of the performances recorded and being able to listen to them afterwards is a big bonus,” says Matthieu. “All these things make Banff an ideal environment.”

“At Banff, I can concentrate on my work. At home, I have to walk to school, cook, clean, etc. Here there is none of that. I can just work, eat, sleep – or go to the pub!”

To wrap up his three-weeks in Banff, Matthieu will perform Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto with the Banff Festival Orchestra – the highlight of the program for him. “I’ve never performed this piece with an orchestra before. I’m very excited. The orchestra has the level to do it, and it’s one of the conductor’s [Alain Trudel] favourite pieces.”

Listen to a clip of Matthieu Fortin performing Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto with the Banff Festival Orchestra at the 2005 Banff Summer Arts Festival.

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