All In The Family
Virtuosity runs in the family. Pianist, Professor, and Chair of the Department of Music, Patricia Tao, is joined by her daughter and violinist, Gabrielle Despres, for a stunning performance of violin and piano duets. The pair of renown prizewinning musicians take a virtual centre stage to showcase their exceptional musicianship in Johanne Brahms' Violin Sonata No. 1 and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Suite for Violin and Piano.
GABRIELLE DESPRÉS
Canadian-born violinist Gabrielle Després is the winner of numerous awards, most recently first prize in the 2020 Irving M. Klein International String Competition. This year, she was also included in CBC’s annual list of “30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians under 30.” She currently studies at The Juilliard School, where she is working toward her Bachelor of Music degree under the tutelage of Masao Kawasaki and Joseph Lin. Gabrielle gratefully acknowledges the generosity of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Anne Burrows Music Foundation and the Edmonton Community Foundation in supporting her education.
Canadian-born violinist Gabrielle Després is the winner of numerous awards, most recently first prize in the 2020 Irving M. Klein International String Competition. This year, she was also included in CBC’s annual list of “30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians under 30.” She currently studies at The Juilliard School, where she is working toward her Bachelor of Music degree under the tutelage of Masao Kawasaki and Joseph Lin. Gabrielle gratefully acknowledges the generosity of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Anne Burrows Music Foundation and the Edmonton Community Foundation in supporting her education.
PATRICIA TAO
Pianist Patricia Tao leads an active career as performer, teacher, and concert organizer. As pianist of the prizewinning Guild Trio, Trio Voce, and as a soloist, she has performed throughout the United States and Europe. She has commissioned and premiered numerous works, has recorded on the Arktos, Centaur and Con Brio labels and holds degrees from Harvard, Indiana and Stony Brook Universities. She is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Music at the University of Alberta, where she teaches piano and chamber music.