Centennial 39491
Ticket Information
Student/Senior/Alumni | $10
Adult | $20
- online
- by phone | 780.492.2495
- in person | Tuesday & Thursday, 11:00am – 2:00pm at the Timms Box Office | Timms Centre for the Performing Arts, 112 Street & 87 Avenue
- at the door (cash or card)
Centennial 39491
Jacques Després | Piano
October 1, 2023
3:00 PM | Convocation Hall
Join Jacques Després for an exquisite afternoon of Debussy and Brahms in a concert inspired by, and named after, his vintage (1879) "Centennial 39491" piano. This historic line of instruments would mark the turning point in the evolution of what is now known as the widely-regarded Steinway model D piano.
Centennial 39491
Jacques Després | Piano
Préludes (premier volume) Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
(…Danseuses de Delphes)
(…Voiles)
(…Le vent dans la plaine)
(…« Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’air du soir »)
(…Les collines d’Anacapri)
(…Des pas sur la neige)
(…Ce qu’a vu le vent d’ouest)
(…La fille aux cheveux de lin)
(…La sérénade interrompue)
(…La cathédrale engloutie)
(…La danse de Puck)
(…Minstrels)
— intermission —
Drei Intermezzi, Op. 117 Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
- Andante moderato
- Andante non troppo e con molto espressione
- Andante con moto
Fantasien, Op. 116 Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
- Capriccio
- Intermezzo
- Capriccio
- Intermezzo
- Intermezzo
- Intermezzo
- Capriccio
Pianist Jacques C. Després has been heard widely for more than four decades through his recordings, performances as a soloist with orchestras, solo recitals and collaborative work. An intelligent, refined, highly sensitive and disciplined artist, Després' performances and recordings are praised by critics who cite his "crystal-clear pianism," and his abilities "to bring humanity, integrity and an enormous expressive range to the pieces." His "pianistic control is flawless, the sonority magnificent, and the playing is utterly and consistently clear."
Since his 1978 debut with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Després appeared as a soloist with many orchestras under the baton of conductors including Otto-Werner Muller, Franz-Paul Decker, Jens Nygaard, and Simon Streatfield. Després' tours have included performances aired on CBC radio and at summer festivals in North American and Asia. Notable recordings include the world premiere of the complete piano works of Joseph Martin Kraus and the Kraus' complete chamber music works on the Naxos label, which received widespread critical acclaim and exposure. A leading lecture-performance artist on both period and modern instruments, Després has been invited to numerous schools in North America and Asia, including the Juilliard School, Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and the Central Conservatory of China (Beijing). He also was invited twice as guest for the Daniel Ericourt Residency at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, NC. Other artists for this residency included Lydia Artymiw, José Feghali, Jon Nakamatsu, Pascal Rogé, David Owen Norris and Daria Rabotkina.
Després holds a Masters degree from the Juilliard School of Music, a Unanimous First Prize from the Quebec Conservatory, and the Artist Diploma with High Distinction from Indiana University as a student of György Sebök. Other teachers include Adele Marcus, William Masselos, Gilbert Kalish, and Christiane Sénart. He has taught at Western Washington University in Bellingham from 1996 to 2000. He joined the Music Department of the University of Alberta in 2000 and has been a Professor of Music since 2005. In 2022, he was the recipient of the Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentorship from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta and in October 2023, he will be inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame in NYC.