2016 Young Artists Recital and Award Ceremony

FRENCH-AMERICAN PIANO SOCIETY Awards Ceremony And Recital Julie Alcaraz Josquin Otal Victoire-Théodora Pruvost Timothée Urbain

July 15th, 2016 Consulate General of France New York, USA 1

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WELCOME TO OUR 2016 AWARDS CEREMONY AND RECITAL French-American Piano Society is a non-profit organization designed to promote cultural exchange, education, and networking between France and the United States through French pianists and music.

Founded in 2014 by Dr. Mathieu Petitjean, our Society provides scholarships for aspiring young French pianists to attend competitions and festivals in the United States, presents world-renowned artists in recital, and endeavors to promote the activities of French pianists in America and American pianists dedicated to French piano music.

Today, we are delighted to recognize our 2016 Scholarship recipients in recital: Julie Alcaraz, Victoire-ThĂŠodora Pruvost, Josquin Otal, TimothĂŠe Urbain.

In a few days, all four will join the two-week International Keyboard Institute and Festival at Hunter College and participate in the McKenzie Piano Competition.

We are grateful to the many corporate and individual patrons who have offered their invaluable support and scholarship funds, which make our recitals possible. Their continued presence at our side will guarantee our future progress.

Please join me in congratulating these talented artists, who embody the mission and success of our Society.

Elizabeth Olson Executive Director

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OUR ARTISTIC PROGRAM As my first year as the Artistic Director of the French-American Piano Society comes to an end, I am thrilled by the growing interest in our organization and the continued passion of our supporters.

This year, the Society has made excellent gains towards its fundraising goals, bringing us closer to realizing our vision of acquiring a Steinway & Sons Model B and expanding our cultural programming. True to our mission, we have dedicated our efforts to building the careers of young French pianists, four of whom you will hear this evening.

Our events at the Salon Rose (Marie-Ange Nguci), New York University (Irina

Kataeva-Aimard), Roche-Bobois (Hélène

Tysman), and Sofitel (Fête de la Musique) offer a glimpse of how much we have to offer, and demonstrate the Society's commitment, not only to a glorious repertoire --- including Couperin, Franck, Ravel, Debussy, Fauré, Poulenc, Escaich, and Murail – but to pianism at its highest levels. I look forward to engaging with this special community of pianists and listeners, from both sides of the Atlantic, similarly drawn to the art of the French piano.

Marilyn Nonken, Ph.D Artistic Director 4

EVENTS, 2016-2017 Julie Alcaraz, Victoire-Théodora Pruvost, Josquin Otal, Timothée Urbain Consulate General of France in New York Friday, July 15th, at 6:30pm Jerome Rose Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College* Sunday, July 17th at 8:00pm Philippe Entremont Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College* Saturday, July 23rd at 8:00pm Alexander Kobrin Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College* Saturday, July 30th at 8:00pm Pascal Rogé Consulate General of France in New York Tuesday, October 25th at 6:30pm Jean-Efflam Bavouzet Consulate General of France in New York Tuesday, January 24th 2017 at 6:30pm * In partnership with the International Keyboard Institute and Festival 5

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A VISION FOR THE FUTURE While we are confident that we can sustain our scholarship program, this year we are raising $100,000 to acquire a Steinway & Sons Model B piano.

Once installed in the Salon Rose music room at the Consulate of France on Fifth Avenue in New York, our Society will have a home and be enabled to expand our recital and educational program. We plan to showcase and enhance the international careers of 40 French pianists over a ten-year period.

To reach this goal, we are actively seeking partners and patrons that would like to support this acquisition. Contribution levels and benefits are summarized below

SOCIETY LEADER ($50,000) Lifetime recognition on a plaque installed on the piano, 20 invitations to our upcoming five seasons (25 recitals).

RECITAL SERIES SPONSOR ($25,000) Our Recital Sponsor will have a recital series named in their honor (five seasons, five recitals per season), including 10 invitations for each recital (250 invitations)

PATRONS ($2,500) Our Patrons will be the catalyst of an emerging community. Their leadership will be regularly recognized and they will receive six invitations to our upcoming five seasons (25 recitals).

French-American Piano Society is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.

Your contributions are tax deductible

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FRENCH-AMERICAN PIANO SOCIETY AWARDS CEREMONY AND RECITAL Friday, July 15th 2016 at 6:30pm Consulate General of France in New York

Timothée Urbain Improvisation Josquin Otal Scherzo, No. 1, Op. 20 Fréderic Chopin (1810-1849) “La maja y el ruissenor” from Goyescas Enrique Granados (1867-1916) Julie Alcaraz Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise, Op. 22 Fréderic Chopin (1810-1849) Timothée Urbain Preludes, Op.102, Nos. 1, 2 and 6 Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) Victoire-Théodora Pruvost Gaspard de la Nuit (Ondine, Le Gibet, Scarbo) Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) 9

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JOSQUIN OTAL An artist who embraces a broad repertoire, Josquin Otal’s dedication to piano came at an early age. His approach to performance is as poetic as it is technical, artistically extracting the piano’s full palette of colors. He enjoys performing works by Schumann, Liszt and Ravel; his love for dance in particular inspires his interpretations of Spanish music.

Following studies at the Lyon and Marseille conservatories, he entered the Paris Conservatoire in 2010 and studied with Anne Quéfellec, Denis Pascal, Pierre Laurent Aimard, and David Walter. A gifted soloist and chamber musician, he has performed in Spain and at French venues, including Paris’ Chopin Festival, Jeunes Talents, Cité de la Musique, Garnier Opera House, the Châtelet Theatre as well as festivals in Nohant, Gavaudun, and Prades. Otal is a prize-winner at international competitions including the Rhodes Competition, the Claude Bonneton Competition, Piano Campus, and most recently, he was named a ”Classical Revelation” by the ADAMI. Josquin Otal is currently pursuing his Artist Diploma at the Paris Conservatoire. He is a grant recipient of the Blüthner Foundation, ADAMI, and the French-American Piano Society.

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JULIE ALCARAZ French-born pianist of Spanish decent, Julie Alcaraz is a multifaceted musician equally talented as a singer and cellist. Spanish music holds a special place in her heart, and she has been particularly devoted to championing the music of Albeniz, in particular his Iberia suite for piano.

Currently enrolled in the Paris Conservatoire’s prestigious Artist Diploma where she works with Denis Pascal, she has worked with leading French pianists including Jacques Rouvier, Hortense Cartier-Bresson, François René Duchable, and Jean-François Heisser.

As “French Music Ambassador” to Japan for gala concerts in 2008, she has also performed in recital on tour in Portugal.

Eager to share her love of chamber music, she won the Ravel Academy’s Prize twice for performances of the Debussy Trio and Fauré’s C minor Quartet. She collaborates regularly with musicians from the Bordeaux Aquitaine and Bayonne Côte Basque orchestras and has been featured on French National Radio. Most recently, she was alongside the cellist Emmanuelle Bertrand on Gäelle Le Gallic’s programme dedicated to outstanding young performers.

A laureate of the Cziffra Foundation, she has been awarded grants by the bank Société Générale, and the Meyer Foundation, and is preparing her first CD devoted to works by Spanish composers, including Albeniz.

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TIMOTHEE URBAIN Raised in a family of musicians, Timothée Urbain began studying piano at an early age with Anne-Lise Gastaldi and David Braslawsky in Paris.

His natural talent for the instrument was clear and, in 2013, he was accepted into the studio of Florent Boffard at the National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Lyon. During this time, his interest in improvisation and composition led him to study composition at the National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Paris with Thierry Escaich and Michaël Lévinas, where he received his Master’s degree.

In 2015, Urbain was granted a scholarship from the Erasmus Programme, a European Union exchange educational program which allowed him to study at the Lübeck Academy of Music in with Konstanze Eickhorst. Timothée Urbain has worked with renowned pianists and teachers including Marie-Josèphe Jude, JeanFrançois Heisser, Eric Vidonne, and Emile Naoumoff.

A versatile musician, Timothée Urbain performs as a soloist and chamber musician, and enjoys a variety of genres including classical music, French chanon, and jazz.

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WE ARE GRATEFUL TO OUR 2016 PARTNERS Airline and Scholarship Grant Partner

Scholarship Grant Partners

New York artists’ host

Recitals Partners

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VICTOIRE-THEODORA PRUVOST Born in 1996, French pianist Victoire-Théodora Pruvost began studying piano at the early age of seven. Soon after, she began studying with Romano Pallottini and obtained her Prix de Piano et de Musique de Chambre à l’Unanimité avec Félicitations du Jury. In 2013, she was accepted at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon and continued her studies with world-renowned pianists, including Marie-Josephe Jude, Igor Lazko, Jacques Rouvier, Jean-Claude Pennetier, Stanislav Ioudenitch as well as William Grant Nabore. Last summer, she participated in several prestigious festivals, including the Ferrara Piano Festival, the Académie d’Eté de la Ferme de Villefavard, Académie d’Eté Maurice Ravel, and Lake Como Summer Piano School.

In 2012, Pruvost made her solo debut with orchestra playing Beethoven’s 3rd Concerto with conductor Olivier Kaspar for the Lion’s Club Gala. She performs regularly at the piano in Riom in France, and has given recitals internationally including Italy, Germany, the Rimsky- Korsakov Conservatory in Russia, and the Victoria Eugenia Theater in Spain.

A gifted chamber musician, Pruvost also enjoys contemporary music and has worked closely with composer Thierry Escaich on ‘Nocturne’, a piece for cello and piano.

Pruvost is the first prize recipient numerous competitions, including the Concours International Scriabin Paris, Concours International d’Ile de France, Concours Flame, Concours Steinway, and Concours para Jovenes de San Sebastian.

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HONORARY BOARD S.E. Bertrand Lortholary Consul General of France in New York

Françoise Noël-Marquis Directeur, Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris

Bruno Mantovani Directeur, Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris

Gery Moutier Directeur, Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon

Jerome Rose Founder and Director, International Keyboard Institute and Festival

Susan Wadsworth Director and Founder, Young Concert Artists, Inc

Hélène Tysman First Prize IKIF 2012 MacKenzie Award

EXECUTIVE TEAM Mathieu Petitjean, Ph.D. Founder and Director,

Elizabeth Olson Executive Director Marilyn Nonken, Ph.D. Artistic Director

Hanyi Meng Outreach and Development Director

Michele Amar Director, Mew York Office, Frenh Music Export Office

Gretchen Amussen Director of External Affairs and International Relations, CNSMDP 18

FRIENDS AND DONORS Donors and friends of the French-American Piano Society are vital to the success of our mission. Your support to our organization provides encouragement and incentive to these young artists at the start of their careers, while also strengthening ties between France and the United States.

Keyboard Members ($8,800 and above) Christophe Attard, Air France Karen Beluso, Steinway & Sons

Full Arpeggio Members ($2,500 and above) The Alice Rosner Foundation Jean-Luc Begasse de Dhaem, Colas, Inc Lena Chang, Ph.D., Cure Insurance Yoni Elmalem, Inbox Group Marie-Paule Nowlis, Sofitel New York Bernard Parisot, JCDecaux Marc-André Poirier, Crédit Agricole CIB

Chromatic Scale Members ($1,200and above) Yann Coatanlem Pierre Cournot Michel Langlais de Langlade Hélène Petitjean, MD Gilles Rousseau

Scale Members ($600 and above)

Philippe Erard Catherine and Etienne Lamairesse

Key Members ($100 to $500 and above) John and Janet Haag Dean Peter H. Baker Gérard Munéra

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Guest artist Lise de la Salle performs at the Society’s Fall Benefit Recital on October 15th 2016 at the Consulate of France in New York.

French-American Piano Society’s 2015 Scholarship recipients after the Award Ceremony and recital, their American debut performance on July 17th, 2015 at the Consulate of France in New York. From left to right: Olof Hansen, Audrey Lonca-Alberto, S.E. Bertrand Lortholary, Gretchen Amussen (CNSMDP), Marie-Ange Nguci, Tanguy de Willencourt, and Dr. Mathieu Petitjean.

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2015 HIGHLIGTHS January to March 2015  French-American Piano Inc. receives 501(c)3 Tax Exempt status.  The Scholarship program is expanded to four scholarships.  100% of the 2015 scholarship funding is raised in two months.  An ecosystem of Promotional partners support our cause including

NJ Cure, Sotheby’s, Credit Agricole, JC dDcaux, Steinway & Sons, Sofitel New York, Metrowine, Logfret, and MedNest.  Air France become our exclusive airline partner.  S.E. Bertrand Lortholary chairs our Board and increases his pledge for

the “Salon Rose” at the Consulate of France for three recitals.  Four scholarships are given to students from the Conservatoire

National Supérieur de Paris and Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris

April to August 2015  Spring Benefit Recital features Thierry Vaton and Georges Granville

in “Le piano dans la musique Créole” .  Olof Hansen,Audrey Lonca-Alberto, Marie-Ange Nguci and Tanguy

de Willencourt are awarded with our Scholarships and perform at the Award Ceremony and Recital on July 17th 2015  Scholarship recipients participate in the International Keyboard

Institute and Festival (IKIF) in New York  Marie-Ange Nguci wins the first prize of the MacKenzie Piano

Competition at IKIF, Tanguy de Williencourt receives Finalist Award

September to December 2015  Lise de la Salle and Kyle Armbrust perform at our Fall benefit Recital

on October 15th 2015  Pledges received at the Fall Benefit Recital half of the 2016 funding

for the Scholarship Program (4 grants).  We announce our 2016-17, $100,000 fundraising initiative.

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FRENCH-AMERICAN PIANO SOCIETY is grateful for the support provided by

Contact us: c/o Hodgson Russ, LLP, 1540 Broadway, 24th Fl, New York, NY 10036 Email: contact@french-american-piano.org french-american-piano.org 24