Hailed by CBC as one of the most promising emerging artists of the country, pianist Samuel Blanchette-Gagnon stands out with his fervour, his profound musical interpretations and his wide colour palette. Winner at age 22 of the prestigious Prix d’Europe 2019 and of the Canadian Music Center Prize, 2nd Prize winner of the Stepping Stone from the Canadian Music Competition, he regularly performs as recitalist and with ensembles such as the Orchestre Symphonique de Drummondville, the Orchestre Symphonique de la Côte-Nord, the Appassionata Chamber Orchestra or the Orchestre des Jeunes de Montréal. He has recorded for Les Violons du Roy and with the Quatuor Saguenay, and had the privilege to perform in the Glocal Piano Project from the Ferrucio Busoni International Piano Competition.

 

As a passionate chamber musician, Samuel has appeared in numerous venues including the Festival Musique de Chambre at Ste-Pétronille, the Riviera Academy in Switzerland, the Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur in Montreal, and the Sine Nomine Serie of Quebec to name just a few. His first album was recorded with violinist Marie Bégin under the label Atma Classique and received dithyrambic reviews by the press. Their new album, centered around the third Sonata by Georges Enescu, will be released during the next months.

 

Graduate of the Quebec Conservatory of Music, where he obtained first prizes in piano and chamber music under the tutelage of Gérald Lévesque and Darren Lowe, Samuel Blanchette-Gagnon pursued advanced training with renowned pianist and teacher Michel Franck. He has, furthermore, worked with internationally celebrated musicians such as Marc-André Hamelin, André Laplante, Bertrand Chamayou, Charles Richard-Hamelin, Benedetto Lupo and Stephen Kovacevich. In addition to participating in a lied academy with baritone Olaf Bär and pianist Ulricke Siedel, he was a participant in a prestigious duo academy under the tutelage of violinist Pierre Amoyal and pianist Pavel Gililov. In 2022, he was selected together with five other promising artists for the first edition of the Carrefour International for young musicians at Festival de Lanaudière.

 

Mr. Blanchette-Gagnon has been under scholarship of the Jeunesses Musicales du Canada and recipient of the Wilfrid-Pelletier Scholarship, and was awarded the General Governor Academic Medal twice. He also enjoys the use of a fine instrument graciously on loan from the Canimex Inc.