Happy Hour Concert – Special edition: Promenades
In partnership with the Concours musical international de Montréal.
This happy hour concert is a special edition. Following a cocktail hour, the recital “Promenades” by pianist Dimitri Malignan, winner of the Third Prize, the Audience Prize, and the J.S. Bach Prize at the Concours musical international de Montréal, will feature pieces by Bach as well as a performance of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Works of graphic art created by students as part of a mediation workshop will serve as the backdrop for the concert.
MAY 14, 2024 | 6:00 p.m.
Joseph Rouleau Hall, Montreal
ARTIST
Dimitri Malignan, solist
Winner of the third prize in the 2021 Piano edition; ICI Musique Audience Award; Montreal Bach Festival Prize for the best interpretation of a work by J.S. Bach.
This concert is a collaboration between the Montreal International Musical Competition and Jeunesses Musicales Canada. It is presented in partnership with the CDPQ. Pianist Dimitri Malignan, winner of the 3rd Prize in Piano 2021, takes us on walks that lead us to discover works with contrasting colors and textures. The Pictures at an Exhibition will take on a whole new dimension with the simultaneous projection of creations by students from Saint-Luc High School, inspired by Moussorgski’s paintings. Dimitri Malignan will also present excerpts from “Pupo,” by his friend, Canadian composer Adam Clarke. This new work, created in 2024, is inspired in its form by Moussorgski’s paintings.
As a complement to Dimitri Malignan’s program, winner of the Montreal Bach Festival Prize for the best interpretation of a work by J.S. Bach, he performs two works by Bach.
A FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE PROGRAM*
J.S. BACH (1685-1750)
Sinfonia en mi bémol majeur, BWV 791
Suite Française n°4 en mi bémol majeur, BWV 815
Adam Vincent CLARKE (né en 1992)
PUPO (extraits)
Scène I (Moderato)
Scène IV (Andante moderato)
Scène V (Largo – Allegro)
Scène VII (Molto espressivo)
Modeste MOUSSORGSKI (1839-1881)
Tableaux d’une exposition
Promenade Modeste MOUSSORGSKI (1839-1881)
- Limoges – Le Marché
- Catacombae – Sepulchrum romanum
BIOGRAPHY OF DIMITRI MALIGNAN
As a young talent in the French piano scene, Dimitri Malignan has already impressed both juries and audiences with his maturity, musical intelligence, and profound sensitivity. Winning the Cortot Prize in 2017 at just 19 years old, he further secured his place in the musical world by clinching the 3rd Prize, the Audience Prize, and the J.S. Bach Prize at the International Musical Competition of Montreal in 2021.
Born in Paris in 1998 to a music-loving family of Romanian descent, with both parents being architects, Dimitri is the grandson of the composer and theater artist Henry Mălineanu (1920-2000). He began playing the piano at the age of 5 under the tutelage of Nicolas Horvath. His musical education blossomed under the guidance of various mentors from diverse backgrounds, and his natural curiosity and thirst for knowledge led him to study in several countries during his formative years. His early talents were recognized in 2010 by Jean-Paul Sévilla, whose invaluable advice played a pivotal role in Dimitri’s musical development. In 2011, he joined the class of Ludmila Berlinskaya, a disciple of Sviatoslav Richter, at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris “Alfred Cortot.” Dimitri excelled in his studies, earning top honors in all diplomas awarded by the school, culminating in the Concert Performer Diploma – Cortot Prize 2017, making him the youngest recipient to date.
Having recorded his debut CD in 2018 featuring works by Schumann and Prokofiev (Passavant Music), Dimitri Malignan released a solo album titled “J.S. Bach Pérégrinations” (Editions Hortus) in 2022, which garnered widespread acclaim from the music press. In 2024, he published two chamber music albums, one dedicated to the Hungarian composer Pál Hermann (Toccata Classics) and the other titled “Elegies and Echoes” (Sheva Collection) with soprano Elizaveta Agrafenina, focusing on melodies by lesser-known East European composers of the 20th century. Dimitri Malignan practices Qi Gong, Tai Chi, and Feldenkrais, incorporating daily meditation into his routine. He firmly believes in the benefits of these practices for musical conditioning. Additionally, he is passionate about tennis and aviation, often training on flight simulators.
