Entre ciel et terre
ARTISTS
LOUIS-BENOÎT CARON, clarinet
JULIEN LEBLANC, piano
The earth and the sky have inspired a myriad of works. Explore with Louis-Benoît these themes through a repertoire for clarinet evoking nature, the joyful song of birds and the deep and melancholic voice of trees. This concert is a musical introspection, an ode to the nature that surrounds us at a time when it is more important than ever to cherish and protect it.
A FIRST LOOK AT THE REPERTOIRE*
D. GOUGEON (born in 1951)
Six thèmes solaires – Terre
S. HÉBERT-TREMBLAY (born in 1960)
Deux monodies pour clarinette seule
I. Oiseaux de nuit
H. SCHMIDT (born in 1974)
La nuit verte
BIOGRAPHY
Louis-Benoît Caron, clarinet
An exuberant and passionate musician, clarinetist Louis-Benoît Caron is particularly interested in the music of composers from groups that are underrepresented in classical music. His mission is to contribute to the promotion and dissemination of Canadian music, which he believes contains treasures that deserve to be shared.
The recipient of numerous prizes and awards, Louis-Benoît was awarded the prestigious Sandra and Alain Bouchard Scholarship in 2020 by the Fondation du Conservatoire for the excellence of his academic career and his involvement in his student community. Passionate about teaching, Louis-Benoît has taught clarinet in many schools in Quebec City. He is currently a clarinet teacher affiliated with the Pre-Conservatory of Montreal.
Louis-Benoît has had the privilege of perfecting his skills in master classes and private lessons with clarinetists and pedagogues such as James Campbell, Yehuda Gilad, Charles Neidich, Lorenzo Coppola, Robert Riseling, and Jean-François Normand, among others. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Conservatoire de musique de Québec, where he studied with Stéphane Fontaine, and is currently completing his master’s degree in performance at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, in the class of Todd Cope.
Julien LeBlanc, piano
A virtuoso whose enthusiasm is genuinely contagious, Canadian pianist Julien LeBlanc is renowned for his great musical sensibility and his talent as a communicator. Based in Montreal, Julien is a well-sought-after soloist, chamber player and accompanist.
His remarkable qualities as a pianist coupled with his innate musical sense have allowed him to master the solo repertoire with distinctive flair. His CD entitled Melancolies is dedicated to the works of Dutilleux, Franck, and Poulenc. The Ruthland Herald praised his interpretation of this repertoire, stressing that he played “with warmth, clarity and flowing lyricism, all with a natural sense of rhythm.”
Julien has recorded a striking trio of CDs. It includes two discs with the Trio Arkaède including Tour de France and the second devoted to little-known French compositions, as well as a disc of French and Spanish songs with soprano Marianne Lambert which was released in 2020 under the Fidelio label.
Since 2012, Julien has been acting as co-artistic director of the summer concert series Barachois Summer Music in New Brunswick. He has taken part in many concert tours across Canada for Jeunesses Musicales Canada and Debut Atlantic. He is a part-time teacher at the University of Ottawa. He has given master classes in several universities across Canada and his frequently asked to sit on juries for music competitions.
*JM Canada reserves the right to modify the repertoire without prior notice.
