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The Canadian pianist and composer, Alain Lefèvre, atadied piano from the age of 4. His father was a clarinettist. His musical gift ensured him a place at l'École normale de Musique de Montréal. Later he studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris in the class of the esteemed Pierre Sancan, who saw in Lefèvre "one of his most brilliant disciple, promised to a great career." He was awarded 1st Prize in piano and chamber music at the Conservatoire. In 1980 he won the 1st Prize at the Alfred Cortot International Competition.
Alain Lefèvre made his debut as pianist in 1982 with Christian Ferras. During the 1980's he worked with Pierre-Max Dubois and Henri Dutilleux. In 1990, he participated at the Mozart Festival of Houston with Christoph Eschenbach. Lefèvre accompanied Jean-François Rivest with the Orchestre Symphonique de Laval. He has been invited by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, SWR Sinfonieorchester in Stuttgart, Hamburger Symphoniker, Nürnberger Symphoniker, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonie de Lorraine, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Moscow Virtuosi, just to name a few. He also worked with renowned conductors such as Christoph Eschenbach, Charles Dutoit, Matthias Bamert, Vladimir Spivakov, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Clair St-Clair, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Georg Tintner, and with composers Pierre Max Dubois, Henri Dutilleux and John Corigliano. He is also affectionate of Sergei Rachmaninov.
Besides his participation to numerous International Festivals like Cervantino, Istanbul, Epidavros, Wolf Trap and Montreal Highlight Music Festival, Alain Lefèvre also appeared on the stages of Pleyel, Gaveau, Châtelet in Paris, Kennedy Center in Washington, Irvine Meadows and Orange County Performing Arts Center in California, Molson Center in Montreal, Roy Thompson Hall and Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Oji Hall in Tokyo, Megaron in Athens, Centro Nacional del Artes in Mexico, the Scala in Milan, the Beethovensaal in Stuttgart and in many other countries world-wide. He won nine times the 1st Prize at the Canadian Music Competition.
Winner of two Felix Awards for Best Classical Album of the Year (2001-2002) for his recordings of the W.A. Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, and of the russian program featuring S. Rachmaninov's Moments Musicaux and Moussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Alain Lefèvre's discography covers a vast repertoire, including his CD of the remarkable John Corigliano's Piano Concerto, considered by many critics to be the reference version: "Alain Lefèvre is spectacular" (Fanfare). His CD entitled Lylatov, featuring in a world premiere some of his own original works, was praised by both the public and the press when released in 2000, so as the best-seller Carnet de notes, released in 2002.
Alain Lefèvre goes regularly to primary schools and hospitals of sick children to show the beauty of classical music to the children. He plays for them the piano on his own expenses. He has met more than 250,000 children. Since he does not have any, his wife Johanne Martineau likes to stress that it is them, their children… |
