The Complete Piano Works of Claude Debussy Part IV

Claude Debussy is considered the most influential composer of the 20^th and 21^st centuries.  He was born in 1862 and studied with one of Chopin’s students.  His early works reflect these studies and are neo-romantic in flavour.  Debussy died in 1918, the year that marked the end of the first global conflict.

From Ancient Greece to the Italian Hills of Anacapri, from Scottish Landscapes to the American Minstrel show, from Breton legends to Shakespeare’s Puck, this program will sweep you away into the exotic, humourous and meditative realms of Debussy in his prime.

This program will feature the first book of Debussy Preludes.  Interwoven between these landscapes you will hear Debussy at his most experimental stage.  Escaping from intense physical and mental suffering during middle of World War I (1915) Debussy worked on an edition of the complete works of Chopin.  In the tradition of Chopin, Debussy followed his reverence for this composer by writing twelve piano etudes.  There are no words to describe these works…works that continue to inspire and challenge composers today.  They are Debussy at his most experimental.  From fierce command to gentle, fast to slow, quiet to bombastic, you will hear a gamut of emotion captured in canvases meant to challenge both the technique of the performer and the ears of the listener.

CLARK BRYAN

As an award-winning concert pianist, Clark Bryan has performed internationally, recorded 14 CD’s and has been featured on radio and television.  As a teacher, Mr. Bryan has taught thousands of students, adjudicated more than 60 music festivals coast to coast in Canada, given dozens of workshops and written a book “Gateways to Learning and Memory”.

The founder of The Aeolian Performing Arts Centre, Clark believes that everyone should have universal access to music, art and culture.  Because of this belief, he launched El Sistema Aeolian in 2011.  This free, intensive music program has offered hundreds of children and youth an opportunity to experience the joy of a rich musical experience.  In 2016, Mr. Bryan secured Bishop Cronyn Memorial Place, a second facility to develop an education centre.   Shortly after securing this facility, he co-founded two new programs.  Pride Men’s Chorus London is a choir open to men of all backgrounds and identities. Rebelheart Collective is a conductor-less chamber orchestra that offers mentorship to young apprentices and offers free tickets to every concert.

Mr. Bryan is engaged in community activism and speaks regularly at events, on radio and television and has given a TEDx talk about the power and joy of music study.

He has been awarded Musical Personality of the Year (2005), Jack Richardson Award for Community Contribution (2011).  In 2017, Mr. Bryan was awarded the Western Alumni Award of Merit and inducted into the Don Wright Faculty of Music Wall of Fame.

Mr. Bryan looks forward to a future when everyone has access to the arts and he is committed to making the changes necessary to accomplish this!