Masterclass Claude Richard – Violin

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Masterclass Claude Richard - Villa Medici Giulini

Internationally acclaimed artist Claude Richard makes his living as a soloist, chamber player and teacher. After winning a Premier Prix in violin at the Conservatoire de musique de Montrèal, where he studied with Arthur Garami and Raymond Dessaints, Mr. Richard went on to win the Orchestre symphonique de Montrèal (OSM) competition and the U.S. Jerome Gross prize, in addition to being honoured with the United States Academy Award in 1988. With grants from the Canada Council of the Arts, the Blossom Music Center in Ohio, the Cleveland Institute of Music, Fonds FCAR and the Académie de Lausanne, he studied with David Cerone and Donald Weilerstein—serving as Mr. Weilerstein’s assistant—and obtained the Artist Diploma and the Professional Studies Diploma from the Cleveland Institute of Music. He also studied with Pierre Amoyal at the Académie de Musique de Lausanne and took part in classes taught by Yehudi Menuhin, Isaac Stern, Joseph Gringold and Jascha Brodksy. International critics have lavished praise on Mr. Richard’s playing: “…His tone was unfailingly strong and his stylistic ideas about the piece were entirely appropriate. His ability to spin out a long legato line in the slow movement was impressive” (Robert Finn – Cleveland Plain Dealer). “Each note was precisely drilled and set out … It also was enormously exciting, and I really can’t think of another time I’ve heard this piece played with this kind of edge-of-the-seat emotion” (Greg Stepanich – Florida News). From the outset, Mr. Richard was destined for an international career. He has appeared as a guest soloist with Canadian and American orchestras, and has toured Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France. A renowned chamber player, he was invited to perform with pianist Emanuel Ax in “a large-scale interpretation that spoke with deliberateness and grandeur” (Wilma Salisbury – Cleveland Plain Dealer). Mr. Richard is passionate about teaching. He first taught at Ithaca College in New York and subsequently at the University of Manitoba, the University of Ottawa and the Conservatoire de Montréal. He is currently Associate Professor of violin with Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Music. He was also concert master with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Richard has given master classes in the United States, Canada, France and Italy at such prestigious institutions as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon and the Cleveland Institute of Music. He was artist-in-residence at the Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur in Montréal from 1996 to 2000 and also teaches at the Orford Arts Centre. He has recorded for Société Radio-Canada, Radio-France and National Public Radio in Chicago, New York, Cleveland and Charleston. In September 2006, he founded the Trio Garami. During summers, Mr. Richard also performs and teaches in Italy. In 2011, Mr. Richard was invited by the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal to perform a recital for the inauguration of the new concert hall La Maison Symphonique. Mr. Richard’s students have won prestigious prizes, including the Concours International de Montréal, the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition, the OSM competition, the Prix d’Europe and all national competitions in Québec and across Canada. Several of his students now play with well-known ensembles, including the OSM, the Québec City and Edmonton symphony orchestras, the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, the Orchestre National de Lyon, Opéra de Tours and Orchestre des Violons du Roy, among others. Mr. Richard is a vibrant example of a violinist for whom passion and human qualities are essential. He plays a magnificent violin built by Guadagnini in Turin, Italy. His piano accompanist is Mirko Maltoni.

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