2019 Two Piano Extravaganza

FRENCH-AMERICAN PIANO SOCIETY Audrey Abela Matthieu Cognet Alexandra Joan Franรงois-Xavier Poizat

2019 Two Pianos Extravaganza Works for 4, 6, 8 hands

Artistic Director Matthieu Cognet

June 21st 2019 Steinway Hall, New York 1

Photo by Mark Morris Photo by Mark Morris

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FRENCH AMERICAN PIANO SOCIETY 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.

Taking the opportunity of the Fete de la Musique, we are happy to present four talented young pianists for a festive piano program for four, six and eight hands! The “extravaganza” is the ideal format for tonight’s recital: a musical work marked by extreme freedom of style and structure!

We are grateful to Steinway and Sons who remains a loyal partner of our programa!

Matthieu Cognet, DMA Artistic Director

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TODAY IS THE FETE DE LA MUSIQUE For the last 36 years in France, the 21st of June is not just the longest day of the year but also the day of the fĂŞte de la musique. This "festival of music" is no ordinary festival. Created in France in 1982, it has been taken up by neighboring countries where it has been just as successful. Music takes over the city's streets, with live bands, singers, amateur musicians, drummers, DJs and so on scattered throughout the city, expressing themselves through music and inviting the crowd to enjoy themselves.

Ref: Paris Info, 2018

We are very grateful to:

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2019 TWO PIANO EXTRAVAGANZA Audrey Abela, Matthieu Cognet Alexandra Joan, François-Xavier Poizat June 21st at 7:30pm at the Steinway Hall in New York

The Ride of the Valkyries (arr. by C. Chevillard)

Richard Wagner

Rondo for Two Pianos Op. 73

Frédéric Chopin

Overture from The Marriage of Figaro

W.A. Mozart

Les Trois Amateurs (Fantasie on Mozart Arias)

Carl Czerny

L’Apprenti Sorcier (arr. For 4 hands by L. Roques)

Paul Dukas

~ Intermission ~

Waltz and Romance

S. Rachmaninov

From Symphonic Dances Op. 45: No 1 (Non Allegro)

S. Rachmaninov

Paganini Variations

Witold Lutoslawski

Sonata for 2 Pianos 8 hands

Bedrich Smetana

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AUDREY ABELA Praised for her sensitive and individual interpretations, French pianist Audrey Abela has performed extensively in the United States, South America and Europe in major venues such as Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, The Kennedy Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Symphony Space, Steinway Hall, Chicago Cultural Center, Salle Gaveau, Salle Cortot, Salle Pleyel and the Royal Dublin Society.

This season, she was selected to appear as one of the emerging artists for The Eurasia Festival.

She holds a Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Manhattan School of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from CUNY Graduate Center, where she was offered a five-year tuition fellowship. She had the privilege to work with and be influenced by artists such as Menahem Pressler, Paul Badura-Skoda, Robert McDonald, John O’Connor, AndrÊ Laplante, Thomas Sauer, Ursula Oppens, and David Dubal, among others.

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Photo by Mark Morris

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MATTHIEU COGNET French pianist Matthieu Cognet is an active soloist and soughtafter chamber player who performs extensively in Europe and the United States. He has appeared in major venues and festivals, including Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, the Cultural Institute of Chicago (Dame Myra Hess Series), Hemptinne Festival (Belgium), Rushmore Music Festival, Memphis in May Festival, and Prades Festival (France). He recently collaborated in concert with Juilliard and Stony Brook faculty and Grammy Award nominee Carol Wincenc.

He has been a soloist with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Stony Brook University Orchestra, Indiana University Student Orchestra, and the Paris Sorbonne Orchestra. His recital and

chamber music performances have been featured on Radio France and Chicago WMFT Radio broadcasts.

Mr. Cognet received degrees from the Conservatoire SupĂŠrieur de Paris, the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and Indiana University.

He recently obtained his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University.

In addition to his performing activities, Mr. Cognet released his own arrangement of Maurice Ravel’s La Valse for piano solo under the label Lauren Keiser Publications (a group of Hal Leonard). He is also the Artistic Director and Masterclass Director of the FrenchAmerican Piano Society. He currently lives in New York City.

For more information, please visit: www.matthieucognet.com 9

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ALEXANDRA JOAN “Elegant… refreshingly temperamental” (The New York Times) French-Romanian pianist Alexandra Joan is an active soloist and sought-after chamber player who performs extensively in Europe and in the U.S. She has appeared at major venues and festivals in Europe, Israel, and the U.S. including Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Bargemusic, The Greene Space, Dame Myra Hess in Chicago, Perlman Music Program, La Roque d’Anthéron Festival, Colmar International Festival,.

She has been a soloist with the “Follia” Chamber Orchestra, the Mulhouse and Montbéliard Symphony Orchestras in France, and the Montenegro Symphony Orchestra. Her recital and chamber music performances have been featured on Radio France, Radio

Suisse Romande, Arte TV, and WQXR in New York.

Her first solo CD "Dances and Songs" was released in October 2014 on the Victor Elmaleh Collection and was one of the "Critic's Pick" for the New York Times.

For three consecutive seasons, Ms. Joan successfully curated “Kaleidoscope,” a concert series at the WMP Concert Hall in New

York, exploring diverse musical themes and bringing prominent musicians and different forms of art together.

Ms. Joan received degrees from the Paris Conservatory and the Juilliard School.

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Photo by Celine Oms

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FRANCOIS-XAVIER POIZAT Born in 1989 with Swiss, French and Chinese origins, pianist François-Xavier Poizat graduated from the Geneva and Hamburg Conservatory and from the Juilliard School in New York. It is Martha Argerich who propelled him on the international stage by inviting him when he was 12 years old to the Pacific Music Festival in Japan, recognizing his “deep lyricism and remarkable virtuosity”. This marked the beginning of a career that has brought him to perform in already 26 countries in Europe, Asia and America, in venues like the Victoria Hall in Geneva, the Tonhalle in Zürich, the Konzerthaus and Philharmonie in Berlin, the Seoul Art Center, the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory or the Carnegie Hall.

He has won prizes in significant competitions : Grand Prix at the

2004 International Competition for the Youth in Kassel, Germany, the 2007 Young Soloist Prize of the Radios Francophones Publiques, 1st Prize at the 2009 International Competition for the Youth of Oldenburg and at the 2009 Elise Meyer Competition in Hambourg in Germany, the Jury Special Prize at the 2011 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

Beside his principal activity as a performer, he is currently the director of the International Puplinge Classique Festival in Geneva, a position he has held for the past 10 years, and has recorded 4 CDs with the Naxos, Ars Produktion and Piano Classics labels. Laureate of the Leenaards and Migros scolarships, and regularly recharges himself by playing jazz and studying martial arts, which he has done for 16 years.

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2019 SEASON PARTNERS

We are grateful to La Compagnie, an all-business-class airline, who provides round trip tickets between Paris and New York to all our 2019 Artists

We are grateful to Sofitel New York for hosting our 2019 guest Artists during their stay in New York

We are actively recruiting a third 2019 Recital partner to fully balance 14

2019 SEASON Pierre Réach

2019 New Year’s Recital January 24th 2019 at 6:30 pm Consulate of France in New York Master Class on January 25th

Fanny Azzuro

2019 Spring Benefit Recital Tuesday, April 23rd at 6:30pm Consulate of France in New York,

2019 Two Piano Extravaganza Fete de la Musique Friday June 21st, 2019 at 7:30 pm Steinway Hall, New York

2019 Young Artists Recital

Melvil Chapouto and Maxime Alberti Thursday July 18th, 2019 at 6:30 pm Consulate of France in New York

Yves Henry

And U.S. Debut of a Young Pianist 2019 Fall Benefit Recital October 22nd, 2019 Consulate of France in New York at 6:30 pm Master Class on October 23rd 15

Photo by Mark Morris

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2019 SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS Since our creation in 2014, we have awarded scholarships to 17 talented young French pianists who have since competed and won international competitions in the United States. The scholarship covers round-trip transportation from Paris, tuition fees for the International Keyboard Institute and Festival (IKIF), and housing during the two-week festival.

We are pleased to announce our 2019 Scholarship Recipients:

Melvil Chapouto Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris

Maxime Alberti Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris-Cortot

Fundraising starts today PAST SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS Hélène Tysman (‘13), First Prize IKIF 2012 Matthieu Acar (‘14), Finalist IKIF 2014 Maroussia Gentet (‘14) Nathanael Gouin (‘14) Olof Hansen (‘15) Audrey Lonca-Alberto (‘15) Alexandre Lory (‘18), Finalist IKIF 2018 Léa Lyon (‘18) Marie-Ange Ngucy (‘15), First Prize IKIF 2015 Tanguy de Williencourt (‘15), Finalist IKIF 2015 Josquin Otal (‘16) Victoire-Théodora Pruvost (‘16), Finalist IKIF 2016 Timotée Urbain (‘16) Julie Alcaraz (‘16), Finalist IKIF 2016 Félix Dalban-Moreynas (‘17) Sarah Margaine (‘17)

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Melvil Chapouto Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse

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Maxime Alberti Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris-Cortot 19

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MASTER CLASSES Recognized as one of the leading educational programs for French piano repertoire in the United States, our Master Class Program attracts the highest caliber of young performing artists. Students benefit from an unique learning experience, receiving guidance and inspiration from some of the most renowned French pianists of our time. The program is open to pianists enrolled in academic music programs in the United States. Classes are free and open to the public.

PAST MASTER CLASSES Yves Henry Students: Mariel Mayz, Audrey Abela, Sarah Dutcher, Elham Fanoos Hélène Tysman Students: Anne Riegler, Sarah Dutcher, Mariel Mayz, Tyler Walker Jean Efflam Bavouzet (picture to the left) Students: François-Xavier Poizat, Mariel Mayz (left), Elham Fanoos Pascal Rogé, Students: Audrey Abela, Sarah Dutcher, Mariel Mayz, Marie-Ange Nguci Yves Henry Students: Małgorzata Goroszewska, Miles Massicotte, Ivan Gusev, Xi Chen To apply for a masterclass, please contact our Artistic Director Matthieu Cognet: matthieu.cognet@french-american-piano.org.

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Inaugurating the James J. Sheeran piano at our New Year Recital - Photo by Mark Morris

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HONORARY BOARD S.E. Anne-Claire Legendre Consul Général France a New York S.E. Bertrand Lortholary Ambassadeur de France au Vietnam

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

Hanyi Meng Outreach and Development Director

Matthieu Cognet, DMA Artistic and Master Classes Program Director

Catherine Olson Marketing Director

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Photo by Mark Morris

Photo by Mark Morris

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2018 FRIENDS AND DONORS Friends and Donors of the French-American Piano Society are vital to the success of our mission. Your support to our organization provides encouragement and motivation to these young artists at the start of their careers, while also strengthening ties between France and the United States.

Your help in 2019 is needed (Scholarships, Master Class, Recitals)

Keyboard Members ($8,800 and above) Karen Beluso, Steinway & Sons Lena Chang, Ph.D., Cure Insurance Marie-Paule Nowlis, Sofitel New York Bernard Parisot, JCDecaux Marc-André Poirier, Crédit Agricole CIB

Full Arpeggio Members ($2,500 and above) Serge et Véronique Banzet, VéronicTravel Jean-Luc Begasse de Dhaem, Colas, Inc Hélène Buchen Catherine Chardon, RATP Dev North Americas Le Comité de Associations Françaises de New York, CAF Les Conseillers du Commerce Extérieur de la France, New York Laétitia Gazel-Antoine, ConnecThings Inc. Hélène Petitjean, MD The Alice Rosner Foundation

Chromatic Scale Members ($1,200and above) 25

Photo by Mark Morris.

Morris Julie Alcaraz in Recital, July 2016

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2018 FRIENDS AND DONORS (Continued)

Key Members (below $500) Jean Pierre Bizzari Florence Brun

Nigel Brown Laurence Chertoff Remy and Isabelle Loumbrozo Andrea Mayes Susan McKenzie Gérard Munéra Martha Olson

Hélene Petitjean Mathieu Petitjean James and Lilian Rubin-Braesch Sasso Sidi Said Francoise Vesine de La Rue Anonymous

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Photo by Mark Morris

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88 Keys Society Members and Patrons ($100 per key donated to acquire our Steinway )

Helene Buchen

(C1#, D1#, F1&#, G1#, A1&#, F2#, G2#, A2#) Gilles Rousseau (G2,A2,B2,C3,D3,E3,F3,G3) Veronique and Pascal Carpentier (C6#, D6#, F6#, G6#, A6#) Ariane Daguin (B6, A6, G6, C7) Anne-Julia Audray (D5, F5, A4) Jean-Pierre Bizzari, MD (A5, B5) Laurence Chertoff (D2#, D3#) Thomas and Albane Duplan (C8, B1) Valerie and Gerard Duval (G7#, F7#) Lily Hsia (D5#, D7#) Susan Mackenzie (E6, C7#) Martha and Rick Olson (E4, G4) Daniel and Teresa Petitjean (F7, G7) Helene and Mathieu Petitjean (A0#,A4#) Dr. Ellie Abdi (B0) Catherine Munera and Alfredo Basurto (E5) Carey and Brett August (C6) Arnaud Boyer (E7) Nigel Brown (G1) Florence and Eric Brun (G5) Eric and Isabelle Chaboureau (F2) VĂŠsine de La Rue (D2) Philippe Dreano (G3#) Yoni Elmalem (A7#) Sylvie Epelbaum,MD (D4#) John F. Bennet, Paris-American Club (G4#) Bernard Frelat (F6) French-American Choir of New York (A4) Simone Galton (B3) Guy Geslin (D7) Anthony Gilroy (A3) 29

FRENCH-AMERICAN PIANO SOCIETY Operates in partnership with

Contact us: 1501 Broadway, 12th Fl, New York, NY 10036 Email: contact@french-american-piano.org french-american-piano.org 30