The French Violin

Victor Fournelle-Blain, violin; Jean-Sébastien Levesque, piano

Sunday, June 16 at 2pm

Victor Fournelle-Blain is the Principal Viola of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, and enjoys an active career as orchestral and chamber musician, soloist and teacher. Also originally from Montreal, pianist Jean-Sébastien Levesque recently moved to Vancouver where he now serves as Artistic Director of Bach on the Rock, Salt Spring Island’s chamber orchestra and choir. Their program features the violin sonatas of French composers Debussy, Ravel and Saint-Saëns, demonstrating each composer’s unique style.

Programme

Biographies

Violinist and violist Victor Fournelle-Blain is leading an active career as an orchestral and chamber musician, soloist and teacher. Currently Principal Viola of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, where he previously held Associate Principal, 2nd assistant and section positions, he was also Principal Viola of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (2019-2021). He has taught viola at the University of Toronto and Université de Montréal, and now teaches at McGill’s Schulich School of Music. In the summer season he attends festivals such as Concerts aux Îles du Bic, Orford Academy, Camp Musical des Laurentides and Formandi Festival (Guadalajara, Mexico). Victor first studied the violin at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal under Johanne Arel, then completed a Master of Music under Ani Kavafian at the Yale School of Music, after which he obtained an Artist Diploma at McGill’s Schulich School of Music, studying the viola with André Roy. He was awarded the 2014 Golden Violin Award (McGill), the 2012 Prix d’Europe, and the second prize of the 2010 OSM Standard Life Competition.

Originally from Montreal, Jean-Sébastien Levesque recently moved to Vancouver where he now serves as Artistic Director of Bach on the Rock, Salt Spring Island’s chamber orchestra and choir. A graduate from Université de Montréal and from Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, Jean-Sébastien has studied with renowned musicians and teachers such as André Laplante, Raffi Armenian, and Jean Saulnier. He has also participated in master classes with esteemed pianists including Jean-Philippe Collard, Jacques Rouvier, Louis Lortie, John Perry, and Marc Durand. Jean-Sébastien founded the Chœur du Brouhaha in 2010, a choir with over 60 singers that focuses on democratizing choral singing. He has also served as the founder and conductor of the choir at the Orchestre Philharmonique des Musiciens de Montréal, the children’s choir of Église Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka, and as Artistic Director and Conductor of Ensemble Vocal Vivace and of Ensemble Choral Saint-Eustache. As a pianist, Jean-Sébastien has collaborated with numerous musicians and singers, and has been involved in various projects promoting classical music to a wider audience. He has also commissioned and premiered several works by Québécois composers.