This concert is in support of the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music
It is free of charge with an open call for donations
A trumpet and piano recital featuring world celebrated Romain Leleu (Trumpet) and Julien Gernay (Piano) performing works by Puccini, Enesco, Piazzolla, Fauré, Gershwin and Rachmaninoff broadcast from La Cité de la Musique et de la Danse in Soissons (north of Paris), live and in high definition on Les Musicales de Baabdath Facebook page.
Christmas is the season of giving, please donate. Proceeds of your contributions will be allocated by Les Musicales de Baabdath to offer musical instruments, sound equipment, string sets and accessories, to the chamber music department, student ensembles, and orchestras of the Lebanese National Conservatory of Music.
Part of the ‘STRINGS OF HOPE 2020’ initiative created by Les Musicales de Baabdath in response to the critical social, economic, and humanitarian crises hitting Lebanon, the concert is meant to offer a moment of bliss by spreading music’s positive vibes.
This event was made possible thanks to the support of the French Embassy in Beirut, Banque Bemo and La Cité de la Musique et de la Danse in Soissons. The performance will start with an introductory word by Mrs. Marie Buscail, Director of Institut Français du Liban.
ROMAIN LELEU | Trumpet JULIEN GERNAY | Piano
Live from the La Cité de la Musique et de la Danse GrandSoissons on Les Musicales de Baabdath Facebook Page
SATURDAY December 12 9 pm Beirut Time 8 pm Paris Time
CONCERT PARTNERS
MEDIA PARTNERS
DETAILED PROGRAM
Georges Enesco (1881-1955) Légende
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) Storiella d’Amore
Gabriel Fauré (1883-1924) Automne
Gabriel Fauré Barcarolle pour piano no1 opus 26
Théo Charlier (1868-1944) Solo de Concours
Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Prélude pour piano Livre II « Bruyères »
George Gershwin (1898-1937) 3 préludes pour trompette et piano
Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) Milonga sin Palabras’
Sergeï Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) Prélude pour piano no5 opus 23 « Alla marcia »
Jean Baptiste Arban (1825-1889) Fantaisie sur Norma de Bellini
“The man who restored the trumpet’s prestige” TELERAMA
“The Concertos are marvellously played, with Leleu showing that he has the bravura of a flautist but can be remarkably stylish too. ” GRAMOPHONE
Virtuoso and elegant, Romain Leleu is widely regarded as one of the leading trumpeter of his generation. « Instrumental soloist revelation » by the French Grammy Awards Victoires de la Musique, he has built an international career on the five continents, in recital as well as with world class orchestras.
He studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique (Paris, France) and at the Karlsruhe Musikochschule in Germany, and was awarded several prizes (Classic revelation Adami, the Banque Populaire Foundation, the SAFRAN Foundation for Music, and the Prize for the Del Duca Foundation of the Fine Arts Academy).
Romain Leleu is a regular guest at prestigious festivals – Roque d’Anthéron, Pablo Casals of Prades, Colmar, Menton, Radio France-Montpellier, Reims Flâneries Musicales, Auvers-sur-Oise, Nantes and Japan Folle Journée, Brussels Musiq3, Seoul Spring Festival; and at international venues – Bucarest Athéneum, Seoul Arts Center, Sejong Concert Hall, Ongakudo Hall Kanazawa, Hermitage St Petersburg Theatre, Cincinnati Museum Center, Salle Pleyel and Théâtre des Champs Elysées (Paris).
With a wide repertoire ranging from Baroque to 21 century music, and a predilection for the Haydn Concerto, Romain Leleu has commissioned and premiered numerous new works by contemporary composers including Martin Mataton (Trame XII for Trumpet and Orchestra), Philippe Hersant (Folk Tunes for Solo Trumpet), Karol Beffa (Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, Subway for Trumpet and Piano), Jean-Baptiste Robin (Récits Héroïques for Trumpet and Organ), Vincent Peirani (Random Obsession).
Since giving his first concert with the Orchestre des Concerts Colonne at the age of 14, Romain Leleu has established a soloist international career. He regularly appears with major French orchestras, French National Orchestra, Toulouse Capitole National Orchestra, Lille National Orchestra, Lorraine National Orchestra, Paris Chamber Orchestra, Auvergne Chamber Orchestra, Ile- de-France National Orchestra, and from abroad, Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt, Dresdner Kappellsolisten, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn, Baltic Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Slovak Sinfonietta, St-Petersburg Hermitage State Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria Mexico, Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a chamber musician he also often loves to pair with Thierry Escaich, Adam Laloum, Ghislain Leroy, François Dumont, Ibrahim Maalouf, Frank Braley to name but a few.
His keen interest in transcribing music led him to create the Ensemble Convergences, a string quintet, in 2010. While revisiting the Classics with his chamber ensemble, Romain Leleu wanted to give a new breathe to the trumpet repertoire.
All Romain Leleu’s discography on the Sony and Aparté/Harmonia Mundi labels has been critically acclaimed and awarded (RTL Gold Classic, Diapason 5, Pizzicato, Resmusica), widely radio broadcasted (Radio Classique, FIP, France Musique, Classic FM, Musiq3).
Romain Leleu gives international masterclasses in regional and superior conservatories in France, and abroad (Spanish Brass Academy, Seoul National University, Tokyo College of Music, Merida International Brass Academy in Mexico, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Tbilissi Conservatory of Music).
He is the Trumpet Collection manager for the Gérard Billaudot Publishing House (Paris). Highlights for the 2017-2018 season will be the Shostakovich Concerto with the Brandenburgischen Staatsorchesters Frankfurt; world premiere of the Beintus Concerto with Frank Braley and the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonie; tour with Thierry Escaich in South America and USA; a recital at the Royal Albert Hall in London; a new “Inspirations” concert series with Ensemble Convergences.
Romain Leleu was awarded Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication in January 2016; he has been appointed to the post of teacher at the Lyon Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in 2018.
He is represented by Konzertagentur Caecilia in Zurich and Geneva.
Romain Leleu is a Yamaha Performing Artist.
Julien Gernay (Piano)
A multifaceted musician, with a warm and communicative temperament, the pianist Julien Gernay is a remarkable artist with an exceptional career.
Born in Belgium in Namur, he trained at the Conservatoire de Nice, where he was awarded first class degrees in two instruments, the piano and the violin. He continued his piano studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieure de Musique in Paris under Michel Béroff, Christian Ivaldi, Jean-Claude Pennetier and Daria Horova. He also benefitted from the coaching of Dmitri Bashkiria, Jean-Claude Pennetier, Menahem Presslaret and Janos Starker whilst attending festivals.
A semi-finalist in the International Reine Elisabeth Competition in 2007, laureate at the International Piano Festival in Lisbon 2003, Tarazzi Prize and Drouet-Bourgeois Prize from the Fondation de France 2001 , Julien Gernay is also a laureate of the Banque Populaire Foundation and of the Singer-Polignac Foundation. His numerous performances, acclaimed by the press and audiences have permitted him to perform in prestigious concert halls throughout the world; amongst his french references are the festivals of Vezère, Menton, l’Empéri, the Périgord Noir, Printemps de la Grange in Evian, l’Orchestre-Opéra in Montpellier, the Wissembourg festival and Les Musicales du Golfe.
His repertoire as a soloist, eclectic and specialised, of which the interpretation is always authentic and profound, is equalled by his chamber music repertoire: his particular affinity with the latter, combined with his experience as a double instrumentalist, make Julien an accomplished chamber musician and a much sought- after partner. Julien Gernay plays regularly with Romain Leleu in a piano/trumpet duo and also in a piano/cello duo which he created in 2009 after meeting the cellist Dai Migata, a favourite of japanese audiences, and with whom he plays regularly in the most important concert halls in Japan. Julien Gernay has also played with international soloists such as Nemanja Radulovic, Rolland Pidoux, Maja Bogdanovic, Pierre Fouchenneret, the Modigliani, Voce, Zemlinksy, Symanowski and Ébène quartets and also the great organist Olivier Latry.
Amongst the recordings he has made are Edvard Grieg’s sonatas with the violinist David Galoustov released by Lyrinx. The Magellan trio, initiated by Julien Gernay with Pierre Fouchenneret, violin and Antoine Pierlot, cello, has recorded two CDs for the label Explora, consecrated respectively to the Mendelssohn trios and to the world of the British composer Roger Steptoe, with Olivier Latry. For their first recording as a duo, “Rencontre”, released by Universal Music at the end of 201 5, Julien Gernay and the cellist Dai Miyata recorded diverse french and japanese works, reflecting their decisive musical encounter and celebrating their friendship. The release in September 201 7 of their new recording, dedicated this time to concert pieces for cello and piano by Fauré, Saint Saëns, Piazzolla, Glazounov and Bruch, was for Julien Gernay and Dai Miyata an opportunity to undertake another tour of Japan.
Since September 201 7, Julien Gernay teaches at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris.
