Recognized for her refined sound, energetic playing and meticulous technique, Canadian pianist Élise Richard performs regularly as a soloist, chamber musician and collaborator.
For many years, she has shared her passion on stage in the United States, Canada, Italy, Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland. Having collaborated with Philippe Muller, Harold Robinson, Martin Beaver, Vladimir Landsman, Antonio Lisy, Laurence Kayaleh and Brian Manker, among others, she is appreciated for her human and artistic qualities.
Élise Richard stands out for her rich musical personality, which has led her to shine in many different projects. In fact, she has been a member of the faculty of the Domaine Forget International Festival for 22 years. She has been a collaborator in several national and international competitions, such as the OSM competition, the Prix d’Europe and the Montreal International Competition. Her passion for chamber music has allowed her to perform with various ensembles, such as the Gagné-Richard Trio and the Molinari Quartet. She is also an active member of the duo Chaminade, piano four hands and two pianos. Her performances have been broadcast on Radio-Canada, National Public Radio in Cleveland, New York and Chicago, as well as on Radio-France.
Her interest in contemporary music and her desire to expand her activities have given her the opportunity to meet contemporary composers Pavel Kolpakov, Brian Field and Paolo Pandolfo. In August 2022, Élise Richard presented the world premiere in Italy of the piano sonata « Cold Winter » composed for her by Paolo Pandolfo. The sonata is available on all major streaming platforms.
As a respected educator, she teaches at the Talent Music Summer Courses and Festival in Brescia, Italy. She has been invited to the Music Fest Perugia, the International Music Festival of Colombes in France and the Euro Arts Festival in Poland. She is regularly asked to be a jury member for various competitions. She will be on the jury of the Grand Concours International de Piano de Paris in June 2023.
A graduate of the Montreal Conservatory of Music, she continued her studies at the prestigious Cleveland Institute of Music with Vitya Vronsky-Babin and Sergei Babayan. She played for Leon Fleischer, Jerome Lowenthal, Emmanuel Ax, Isaac Stern and Yo-yo Ma. It was also in Cleveland that she studied collaboration with Jascha Heifetz’s studio pianist, Ann Epperson. She has the privilege of studying with Jean-Bernard Pommier at the Académie de musique de Lausanne.