Homage to Debussy - May 10 2018

FRENCH-AMERICAN PIANO SOCIETY Matthieu Cognet George Lepauw

Homage to Debussy May 10, 2018 Consulate General of France, New York

1

Photo by Mark Morris

Cover page, credits to Fondation Paul Sacher, Bâle, Collection Igor Strawinsky

2

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.

Prominent French composer Claude Debussy (1862-1918) brought a seminal force to modern music of the 20th century.

Today, we are celebrating his musical masterpieces and influence on prominent composers, painters, and writers with an all-Debussy program performed by young pianists Matthieu Cognet and George Lepauw.

Hosted by the Consulate of France, this recital is a collaboration between the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the French-American Piano Society.

We are grateful to be partners with such prestigious institutions and their teams

Elizabeth Olson Executive Director

3

Homage to Claude Debussy Matthieu Cognet, DMA Artistic Director of the French American Piano Society Among the most influential composers of the late 19th and 20th centuries, Debussy is considered a turning point in the history of music. The program you will hear tonight testifies of Debussy’s multifaceted style, from his early Petite Suite to his idiomatic Préludes, composed later on.

One interesting fact about Debussy was his fairly constant inspiration by French Symbolism. The term “impressionist”, although very often attributed to his music, has been the

subject of controversy among scholars. In fact, Debussy found a great deal of inspiration in Mallarmé’s and Verlaine’s poetry, as well as Antoine Watteau’s production. You will hear it in Masques, based on Watteau’s painting Le Muzzetin and l’Isle Joyeuse, inspired by Watteau’s famous painting L’embarquement pour Cythère. The two pieces were both composed in 1904 and remain some of the most popular piano pieces in Debussy’s output.

The 24 Préludes have been compared to Bach’s, Scriabine’s and Chopin’s cycles, even though there is no evidence of Debussy’s intention to perform them as a cycle. In the form of two books of 12 preludes each, they were written in a matter 4

of months, between December 1909 and February 1910 for the first Book, which you will hear tonight, and between late 1912 and early 1913 for the second, at an unusually fast pace for Debussy. The different titles have the particularity of being presented at the end of each prelude, as Debussy’s intention was for the listener to create his own interpretation of each piece, regardless of any leading indication. In that regard, one could see Debussy’s potential rejection of their impressionist content.

The Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, inspired by Stéphane Mallarmé’s eponymous poem, is one of Debussy’s most famous works. According to Pierre Boulez, the symphonic

poem, premiered in Paris in 1894, symbolizes the beginning of music Modernism.

Finally, the Petite Suite, chosen to conclude the program, was premiered in 1889 and written in contrast with Debussy’s modernist approach at the beginning of his career. It has four very idiomatic movements: En bateau, Cortège, Menuet and

Ballet.

It somehow testifies of the reminiscence of the musique de salon manner, a popular vector of music diffusion at the time, and concludes nicely tonight’s celebration of the 100 th anniversary of Debussy’s passing.

5

Our Steinway is dedicated to

James J. Sheeran (1923 - 2007)

A great American patriot, WWII Veteran, son of France, and Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur (2006) of the Republic of France

We are deeply thankful to the generous patrons who helped us fund our Steinway piano

CREDIT AGRICOLE CIB NJ CURE JCDecaux Alice Rosner Foundation Colas, Inc Committee of French Speaking Societies ConnectThings Conseillers du Commerce Exterieur de la France MedNest RATP Dev VeronicTravel The “88 Keys” Society Members and Patrons 6

FRENCH-AMERICAN PIANO SOCIETY HOMAGE TO DEBUSSY Thursday, May 10 2018, at 6:30pm Consulate General of France in New York

Matthieu Cognet George Lepauw Performing works by Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918) on the James J. Sheeran piano.

Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (Transcription for four hands by Maurice Ravel) Préludes (First book) (performed by George Lepauw) Masques L’Isle Joyeuse (performed by Matthieu Cognet) Petite Suite pour quattre mains En bateau - Cortège - Menuet - Ballet 7

Photo by Mark Caroline Morris Doutre

8

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

Photo by Celine Oms

10

GEORGE LEPAUW “A prodigious pianist” (Chicago Tribune) recognized for his “singing tone” (New York Times), and someone who “likes to shake it up” (Chicago Tribune), George Lepauw is an artist and cultural activist who uses music and the arts to inspire and bring people together, following upon Beethoven's idea of "brotherhood".

Named Chicagoan of the Year (2012) for Classical Music (Chicago Tribune), George represents the ideal 21st century musician, intensely focused on his art and wholly engaged with the world.

In addition to his performance career, George is the Founder of the

International

Beethoven

Project

(IBP),

a

non-profit

organization focused on innovation in the arts with which he has organized multi-disciplinary festivals, educational programs, and

annual “Beethoven Birthday Bashes”. Since 2016 George is also Executive Director of the Chicago International Movies & Music Festival which allowed him to deepen his passion for film, an artform he has occasionally participated in as a producer, consultant, and musician for over a decade.

George, began piano studies at the age of three in Paris with Aïda

Barenboim, and furthered his studies with Brigitte Engerer, Vladimir Krainev, Rena Shereshevskaya, Ursula Oppens, and Earl Wild. He holds degrees from the Georgetown and the Northwestern Universities. George is a frequent speaker and guest teacher at universities. He recently recorded Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, and hosts a podcast on the arts, “Through The Stage Door”. Visit www.georgelepauw.com for more information.

11

Photo by Mark Morris. Sarah Margaine and Felix Dalban Moreinas receive the 2017 Lalique Award

12

2018 SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS Since our creation in 2014, we have awarded scholarships to 14 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.

Join us to congratulate our 2018 Awards recipients:

Alexandre Lory Lea Lyon Both will give their U.S. debut recital on July 19 at the Consulate of France in New York. On this occasion, they will be recognized with the Lalique Awards.

HELP US FUND THE SCHOLARSHIPS 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) 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) 13

Photo byEnhco Thomas Mark plays Morris Morris. at the Yves2018 HnryNew in Recital, Year Recital October - Photo 2017by Mark Morris

14

2018 RECITALS Lise de la Salle and Thomas Enhco 2018 New Year’s Recital Tuesday, January 16 at 6:30pm Consulate General of France in New York

Marie-Ange Nguci En Miroirs Tuesday, April 3 at 6:30pm Consulate General of France in New York

Georges Lepauw and Matthieu Cognet Homage to Debussy Thursday, May 10 at 6:30pm Consulate General of France in New York

Fête de la Musique Young Artist Piano Extravaganza Thursday June 21 at 7pm Steinway Hall in New York

2018 Young Artist Recital 2018 Scholarship Recipients to be announced Thursday July 19 at 6:30pm Consulate General of France in New York

Yves Henry Tuesday October 23 at 6:30pm Consulate General of France in New York 15

Photo by Mark Morris

16

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) 17

Photo by Mark Morris. Sarah Margaine in Recital, July 2017

Lise de la Salle at our 2018 New Year Recital - Photo by Mark Morris

18

88 Keys Society Members and Patrons (continued) Robert Gorman Odile Gorse Herve Houdre Laurent Kleitman Remy Lumbroso Pierre Martin Andrea Mayes Hanyi Meng Jean-Hugues Monier Mark Morris Rick and Mary O'Connell Elizabeth Olson Claudine and Bernard Parisot Joseph Patrych Michel and Judith Pautrat Jean Perrette Dmitry Rachmanov Jerome Rose Sophie Schyler - Chateau Kirwan Guy Sorman Annaliese Soros Marie-Monique Steckel

(D1) (C1) (C2) (C5#) (D6) (F3#) (C5) (A7) (E2) (A3#) (E1) (C4) (C4#) (G5) (F4) (B7) (F4#) (A0) (F5#) (D4) (C2#) (B4)

19

Photo by Mark Morris. Master Class with Jean Efflam Bavouzet and Mariel Mayz

20

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.

21

Inaugurating theMorris.

James J.Marie-Ange Sheeran piano at our Year Recital Photo by Mark NGuci in New Recital, April 2016- Photo by Mark Morris

22

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

Mark Morris Photographer in Residence

Catherine Olson Brand Affinity Programs Director

23

Photo by Mark Morris.

Morris Julie Alcaraz in Recital, July 2016

Photo by Mark Morris

24

2017 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.

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) Patrick Baugier de Chevestre, Metrowine Group Yann Coatanlem Yoni Elmalem, The Inbox Group Alfredo Gangotena Michel Langlais de Langlade Martha Olson Gilles Rousseau

Scale Members ($600 and above) Emmanuel Cargill Philip Erard Catherine and Etienne Lamairesse 25

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 26