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The jazz pianist
...Concerts..Audio and Video Excerpts |
The jazz pianist " Lorraine is one of the most gifted jazz artist to emerge in recent years… " Business World, Manilla, Phillipines 25-Year Career! Pianist and composer Lorraine Desmarais needs no introduction to jazz lovers from Canada or elsewhere. Crafting her astounding talent and unique sound since her earliest days, she has established herself as a mainstay of the Canadian jazz scene and also enjoys an enviable international reputation. Over the past 25 years, the tireless pianist has carried out countless musical projects, thus significantly contributing to the development of Canadian jazz. Her efforts were well rewarded in 2002, when she received the Oscar-Peterson award at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. Lorraine Desmarais has also achieved national and international acclaim, performing alongside such greats as Chick Corea, Oliver Jones, Paquito D’Rivera, Joanne Brackeen, Tiger Okoshi, the Diva Big Band, Michel Cusson, Alain Caron, and Guido Basso. A regular fixture at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, she has also given numerous performances at international jazz festivals, namely in Jakarta (Indonesia), in Saint-Louis (Senegal), in the Parc Floral of Paris, in Montpellier (France), and at the Women in Jazz festival, in Washington. Working with her long-time collaborators Camil Bélisle and Frédéric Alarie, Lorraine Desmarais constantly pushes the limits of the jazz trio format. In addition to frequently performing solo or with small ensembles, she guests with prestigious symphony orchestras, including the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, in Spain. Also worthy of mention is the ambitious big band project she successfully carried out, recruiting Montréal’s finest jazzmen to perform her own compositions, both on stage and on record. Renowned for her flawless piano technique and highly original performances, Desmarais has received many awards and accolades throughout her brilliant career, including two Félix awards, the Yamaha Award, given by the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, the SOCAN Composer’s Award, the Keyboard Artistry award from the Ontario Arts Foundation as well as the First Prize of the Great Jazz Piano American Competition at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, in Florida. Lorraine Desmarais also has several film scores to her credit, including works for the National Film Board, a flute and piano sonata featuring duettists Lise Daoust and Louise Bessette, and, most recently, XIII-Thème et Variations, a special commission for violinist Angèle Dubeau and her string ensemble La Pietà.
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| Concerts
«She seems likely soon to cross many national boundaries. Not since Oscar Peterson dazzled USA in Carnegie Hall in 1949 has an artist from north of the border made such a powerful impression on me... " Leonard Feather, The Los Angeles Times «Playing with authority and constant drive she enlivened her own dense compositions with sweeping intricate phrases and expensive eloquence. " The Toronto Star Jazz pianist Lorraine Desmarais’ performances will satisfy the most demanding musical connoisseurs as well as newcomers who seek intense, high quality concert experiences. In addition to performing solo or in trio, Desmarais has a complete repertoire for piano and symphony orchestra (including her compositions and her adaptation of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue), not to mention her bold and ambitious new big band project. Jazz with a capital J! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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| Audio and Video Excerpts
L. Desmarais: L. Desmarais: L. Desmarais: Love cd excerpts / Archambault Lorraine Desmarais cd excerpts /Archambault Jazz pour Noël cd excerpts /Archambault ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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