Music Chapel Partitura Project

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One thing we can say about music is that we can do our best to grasp it and teach it, but there will always be one thing missing this way - grace - the unexpected miracle which gives music its true worth. This ‘je ne sais quoi’ is what drives the composer to compose. It is grace which invites the musician - body and soul - to master his ins-trument and deepen his understanding. It is grace which attracts music lovers to come to concerts, to be part of a precious and unique event: the communication of this certain something, which is part of everyone’s make-up. The requirement for this ‘transmission’ is not only aesthetic, but ethical: music, like all art, is part of the mystery that shapes humans.

Many schools and conservatoires exist to simply analyse and teach music, but this transmission is of quite a different nature. The constraints linked to developing a career are hardly favourable: the dynamic of exams and competitions involves rivalry and glorification of oneself, and this greatly risks turning the musician away from this subtle dimension, so delicate to get close to. Everyone knows one can only harness grace.

It is in response to this issue that Maria João Pires launched the Partitua project. It is all about creating favou-rable circumstances for transmission, by encouraging reciprocal listening between generations: proposing well-known musicians to foster young musicians, to invite them (as the name suggests) to share the concert platform. And it is precisely then that this miracle is accomplished, in the presence of an attentive audience, combining interpretations and in one moment traversing space and time.

Aiming to thwart the harmful effects of the ‘star-system’, to discover the potential of the upcoming generation, to offer a new perspective on the function of music and to deepen the sense of this concert ritual, the Partitura Project and the Music Chapel provides a unique launch pad, along the same lines as its high expectations and aims. It is about rising to the challenge - for a music school, a composer, a musician, even for everyone in the audience: it is about awakening that sound which can easily escape us, but which gives us all meaning.

Partitura

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Proposition de programmes Partitura

Ashot Khachatourian & Maria João Pires

Ashot KhachatourianMaria João PiresG. Kurtág Játékok (Extract)

Ashot Khachatourian F. Schubert Sonata No. 20 in A major, for piano, D.959

Maria João PiresF. Schubert Sonata No. 21 in B flat major, for piano, D.960

Julien Libeer & Maria João Pires

Julien LibeerMaria João PiresF. Schubert Allegro in A minor, “Lebensstürme”, for piano 4 hands, D.947

Julien Libeer M. RavelSuite for piano, “Tombeau de Couperin”

Maria João PiresF. Schubert Sonata No. 21 in B flat major, for piano, D.960

Or

Julien LibeerMaria João PiresF. Schubert Allegro in A minor, “Lebensstürme”, for piano 4 hands, D.947

Julien Libeer L. van BeethovenSonata No. 30 in E major, for piano, op. 109

Maria João PiresL. van BeethovenSonata No. 32 in C minor, for piano, op. 111

Julien LibeerMaria João PiresF. Schubert Fantasie in F minor, for piano 4 hands, D.940

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Julien Brocal & Maria João Pires

Maria João PiresC. Debussy Pour le Piano L. 95

Julien BrocalM. Ravel Miroirs

Julien BrocalL. van BeethovenSonata No. 26 in E flat major, for piano, “les Adieux”, op. 81a

Maria João PiresL. van Beethoven Sonata No. 32 in C minor, for piano, op. 111

Pavel Kolesnikov & Maria João Pires

Maria João PiresL. van Beethoven 32 variations in C minor, for piano

Pavel Kolesnikov F. Schubert Musical moments, op. 94, D. 780

Pavel Kolesnikov A. Scriabin Toward the flame, op. 72

Pavel Kolesnikov A. Scriabin Sonata No. 4 in F sharp major, op. 30

Maria João PiresL. van Beethoven Sonata No. 32 in C minor, for piano, op. 111

Or

Maria João PiresF. Schubert Sonata No. 21 in B flat major, for piano, D. 960

Pavel Kolesnikov R. Schumann Fantasy in C major, op. 17

Maria João PiresC. DebussyFor the piano, L. 95

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Kaito Kobayashi & Maria João Pires

Kaito KobayashiF. Schubert Sonata No. 13 in A major, for piano, op. posth. 120 D. 664

Kaito KobayashiC. DebussyEstampes

Kaito KobayashiC. DebussyL’ Isle Joyeuse

Maria João PiresF. Schubert Sonata No. 21 in B flat major, for piano, D. 960

Maria João PiresKaito KobayashiF. Schubert 2 Trios and 2 Ländler, D. 618

Lilit Grigoryan & Maria João Pires

Lilit GrigoryanMaria João PiresF. SchubertAllegro in A minor, “Lebensstürme”, for piano 4 hands, D.947

Lilit GrigoryanS. ProkofievSonata No. 6 in A major, for piano, op. 82

Maria João PiresF. SchubertSonata No. 21 in B flat major, for piano, D.960

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Milos Popovic & Maria João Pires

Maria João PiresMilos PopovicW. A. Mozart Sonata in C major, for piano 4 hands, KV. 521

Milos PopovicF. ChopinBallade No. 1 in G minor, op. 23Ballade No. 2 in F major, op. 38Ballade No. 3 in A flat major, op. 47Ballade No. 4 in F minor, op. 52

Or

Maria João PiresMilos PopovicW. A. Mozart Sonata in D major, for piano four hands, KV 381

Maria João Pires F. Chopin2 Mazurkas

Maria João Pires F. ChopinSonata. No 3 in B minor, for piano, op. 58

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Julien Brocal

J. S. BachSuite anglaise No. 3 in G Minor, BWV 808

F. ChopinSonata No. 2 in B flat minor, op. 35

F. Chopin24 Préludes op. 28

Or

F. Chopin3 nocturnes, op. 15

M. RavelMiroirs

F. Chopin24 Préludes op. 28

Concertos

F. ChopinConcerto No. 1 in E minor, op. 11

W.A. MozartConcerto No. 12 in A major, for piano, K. 414

W.A. MozartConcerto No. 21 in C major, for piano, K. 467

L. van BeethovenConcerto No. 5 in E flat major, for piano, op. 73

S. RachmaninoffConcerto No. 2 in C minor, for piano, op. 18

Programmes Récital Solo

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Julien Libeer

J. S. BachSuite anglaise No. 3 in G Minor, BWV 808

M. RavelSuite for piano, “Tombeau de Couperin”

F. CouperinLes Barricades Mystérieuses

F. LisztBénédiction de Dieu dans la Solitude

A. SkriabinSonata No. 4 in F sharp major, op. 30

Concertos

L. van BeethovenConcerto No. 4 in G major, for piano, op. 58

F. ChopinConcerto No. 1 in E minor, for piano, op. 11

E. GriegConcerto in A minor, for piano, op. 16

B. BartokConcerto No. 3 for piano, Sz. 119

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Ashot Khachatourian

D. Scarlatti Sonata in A major, for piano, k. 212

D. Scarlatti Sonata in D minor, for piano, K. 213

J. HaydnSonata No. 52 in E flat major, for piano, Hob.XVI.52

F. ChopinBallade No. 1 in G minor, for piano, op. 23

F. ChopinScherzo No. 2 in B flat minor, for piano, op. 31

S. Rachmaninoff Musical moments, op 16.

S. ProkofievSonata No. 4 in C minor, for piano, op. 29

Or

L. van Beethoven6 variations, op. 34

L. van BeethovenSonata No. 11 in B flat major, for piano, op. 22

F. SchubertSonata No. 20 in A major, for piano, D 959

S. ProkofievToccata in D minor, op. 11

Concertos

F. ChopinConcerto No. 1 in E minor, for piano, op. 11

F. ChopinVariations on “La Ci darem La Mano”, op. 2

L. van BeethovenConcerto No. 3 in C minor, for piano, op. 37

W.A. MozartConcerto No. 20 in D minor, for piano, K. 466

S. RachmaninoffConcerto No. 2 in C minor, for piano, op. 18

S. RachmaninoffConcerto No. 3 in D minor, for piano, op. 30

R. StraussBurleske in D minor

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Pavel Kolesnikov

W.A.MozartFantasy in C minor, KV. 396

R. Schumann Fantasy in C major, op. 17

J. HaydnSonata No. 52 in E flat major, for piano, Hob.XVI.52

A. ScriabinToward the flame , op. 72

A. ScriabinSonata No. 4 in F sharp major, op. 30

L. van Beethoven Sonata No. 32 in C minor, for piano, op. 111

Or

L. van BeethovenSonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, «Mondscheinsonate», for piano, op. 27 No. 2

F. SchubertMusical moments, op. 94, D. 780

R. SchumannNachtstücke, op.23

A. ScriabinToward the flame, op. 72

A. ScriabinSonata No. 4 in F sharp major, op. 30

Concertos

W. A. MozartConcerto No. 9 in E flat major, “Jeunehomme”, for piano, KV 271

L. van BeethovenConcerto No. 1 in C major, for piano, op. 15

L. van BeethovenConcerto No. 4 in G major, for piano, op. 58

P. I. TchaïkovskiConcerto No. 1 in B flat minor, op. 23

S. RachmaninovConcerto No. 3 in D minor, for piano, op. 30

S. RachmaninovRhapsody in A minor, on a theme by Paganini, op. 43

M. RavelConcerto No. 2 in D major, for the left hand

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Kaito Kobayashi

R. SchumannFantasy in C major, op. 17

L. van BeethovenSonata No. 26 in E flat major, for piano, op. 81a

L. van Beethoven32 variations in C minor, for piano

R. SchumannEtudes Symphoniques, op. 13

Concertos

W. A. MozartConcerto No. 20 in D minor, for piano, KV 466

L. van BeethovenConcerto No. 3 in C minor, for piano, op. 37

J. BrahmsConcerto No. 1 in D minor, for piano, op. 15

S. RachmaninovConcerto No. 2, in C minor, for piano, op. 18

D. ShostakovitchConcerto No. 2 in F major, for piano, op. 102

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Lilit Grigoryan Concertos

C. Saint-SaënsConcerto No. 2 in G minor, for piano, op. 22

R. SchumannConcerto in A minor, for piano and orchestra, op. 54

E. GriegConcerto in A minor for piano and orchestre, op. 16

W. A. MozartConcerto n 20 in D minor, for piano, KV 466

S. RachmaninovConcerto No. 2 in C minor, for piano, op. 18

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Milos Popovic

V. MokranjacThe Fragments

F. J. HaydnSonata in E flat major, for piano, Hob XVI:49

F. J. HaydnSonata in C major, for piano, Hob. XVI. 50

F. SchubertSonata No. 21 in B flat major, for piano, D. 960

F. ChopinBallade No. 1 in G minor, op. 23

F. ChopinBallade No. 2 in F major, op. 38

F. ChopinBallade No. 3 in A flat major, op. 47

F. ChopinBallade No. 4 in F minor, op. 52

F. J. HaydnVariations in F minor, Hob. XII. 6

F. J. HaydnSonata No. 38 in F major, Hob. XVI. 23

F. ChopinNocturne in B major, op. 62 No 1

F. ChopinNocturne in D major, op. 62 No. 2

F. ChopinBarcarolle in F sharp major, for piano, op. 60

Concertos

S. ProkofievConcerto No. 2 in G minor, for piano, op. 16

P. I. TchaïkovskiConcerto No. 1 in B flat minor, for piano, op. 23

J. BrahmsConcerto No. 1 in D minor, for piano, op. 15

L. van BeethovenConcerto No. 5 in E flat major, for piano, «l’Empereur», op. 73

W. A. MozartConcerto No. 27 in B-flat major, KV.595

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Biographies

Maria João Pires

Born on 23 July 1944 in Lisbon. Played in public for the first time in 1948. Studied with Campos Coelho and Francine Benoît, and later in Germany with Rosl Schmid and Karl Engel.

In addition to her concerts, recorded for Editions Erato for fifteen years and has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon for twenty years.

Since the 70s, has devoted herself to consideration of the influence of art on life, the community and education, seeking to discover new ways to implement these teaching methods in society. Seeks new forms of transmission that respect the development of the individual and of cultures, in opposition to the destructive, materialistic logic of globalisation. Created the Centre for the Study of the Arts in Belgais in 1999. Promoted this philosophy in Salamanca and Bahia in Brazil.

In 2012, joined the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and developed two additional projects in parallel there, the Equinox project devoted to the creation and development of choirs of children from underprivileged environments, and the Partitura Project, the aim of which is to create an altruistic dynamic between artists of different generations and to offer an alternative in a world too often focused on competitiveness.

“This project is a natural extension of my research and one of the pos-sible responses to my greatest concern, namely the future of classical music and of those who will ensure its continuation.”

Julien Brocal

“Poetry, spontaneity, restraint, and a profound sense of structure and awareness of sound are rare qualities that he displays.”

Maria João Pires

Born on 23 May 1987 in Arles, France, Julien began learning piano at the age of 5 and was performing onstage from the age of 7. He was trained by Erik Berchot at the Conservatoire National de Région de Marseille and Rena Shereshevskaya at the Ecole Normale de Mu-sique de Paris Alfred Cortot. During his training, he received support from the Zaleski Foundation, the Assophie Association and the Safran Foundation. In January 2013 he was discovered by Maria Joao Pires in a master class at the Cité de la Musique in Paris; she invited him to develop artistic projects in residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and to participate in the birth of the Partitura Project in 2014.

“I would never have believed it possible that such an endeavour could exist. The birth of the Partitura Project is a matter of great pride and a source of profound inspiration in my personal and artistic life. This initi-ative puts Maria at the head of a great altruistic chain, with the artistic ideal of transmission and solidarity between artists and individuals in our world. I will be committed to supporting this utopia in the process of becoming reality.”

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Ashot Khachatourian

“How can I describe him? A force, a truth, an energy, a passion, a limit-less talent.”

Maria João Pires

Born on 15 March 1984 in Yerevan, Armenia, into a family of musi-cians. He discovered the piano at the age of 4 with his father and was performing in public from the age of 8. He trained with Valentina Nikolaevna and Elena Galustova in Armenia, then later in Switzerland with Gérard Wyss and Elisso Virssaladze. At the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel he met Maria João Pires, who invited him to participate in the creation of the Partitura Project.

“The meeting with Maria gave me the confidence and the inspiration to transmit the original message of the music, and the desire to be-come part of this community of artists became undeniable.”

Lilit Grigoryan

“Lilit has abundant strength, determination, a clear and assertive mu-sical language.”

Maria João Pires

Born on 24 June 1985 in Erevan, Armenia, Lilit discovered music and art from her birth into a family of musicians and scientists. With her first teacher Arkuhi Harutyunyan she took her first steps with the pia-no, an instrument that very quickly became not only a passion, but also a way to express her emotions and thoughts and share them with herfriends onstage. She was taught by Sergey Sarajyan at the Komitas Conservatory in Erevan and Matthias Kirschnereit at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Rostock. She had a decisive meeting with Maria João Pires in 2013 at a master class in France. An artist in residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium, Lilit is part of the Parti-tura Project.

“I am happy to have found the Partitura Project through Maria João Pires. I have met a community of enthusiastic musicians that allows me to combine joy and the sharing of music, to be the intermediary be-tween the public and the message of the music. The project also allows me to expand my musical and human experience, to find philosophicalanswers in life.”

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Julien Libeer

“The complete musician, who unites, at any musical moment, a true understanding of the piece, a solid intellectual approach and an infal-lible instinct for the impalpable.”

Maria João Pires

Born in 1987 near Brussels, Belgium, JL’s earliest musical memory was the famous documentary of Leonard Bernstein recording West Side Story.

The piano, which he took up at age 6, quickly became the faithful com-panion for expressing a love of music that, until today, thrives as much on opera, orchestra and chamber music as on the piano repertoire.

During five decisive years, French-Polish pedagogue Jean Fassina was the patient, demanding, wise teacher that any aspiring musician should have the chance to encounter. Another inspiration to Julien has been pianist Dinu Lipatti, whose integrity, musicianship and highest ethics in art continue to be a beacon. Julien has made it into a point of honour to defend regularly the composer Lipatti as well. He is studying at the Music Chapel with Maria João Pires.

“Maria has given me a couple of answers to questions that had been haunting me for a while. How to transmit of our cultural heritage to a younger generation? Being a part of Maria’s Equinox project, accom-panying young and often underprivileged children on a weekly basis in a choir, I’ve experienced how a musician can be useful far beyond lonely practice and concert stages. My desire to make music based on friendship and confidence is finding its answer in the Partitura Project.”

Pavel Kolesnikov

“An innate talent, fluid playing and an approach to music that is always honest, aware, and imbued with an aesthetic ideal.”

Maria João Pires

Pavel Kolesnikov was born in Siberia into a family of scientists in 1989. At the age of 6 he asked his parents to take him to a music school for studying violin. Taking piano as his second instrument, only ten years later he decided to give up violin and to concentrate solely on piano.

He was lucky to study with many great teachers, absorbing and balanc-ing sometimes very different approaches. After graduating from the Moscow Conservatory where he studied with Sergei Dorensky, Nikolai Lugansky and Pavel Nersessian, he went to London to continue educa-tion at the Royal College of Music and he is studying now at the Music Chapel with Maria João Pires.

“I am extremely grateful to my teachers, who gave me many things I would never achieve without them, and I always felt that they came to my life at the right moment. At the same time I am very ‘greedy’ for learning, and it would be true to say that I learned as much from the musicians I never met, but who I admire – Alfred Cortot, Dinu Lipatti, Emil Gilels, to name a few.”

Meeting Maria João Pires was an amazing play of chance and unex-pected coincidences, and became life-changing in many ways.

“In Maria João I found a person who inspires me enormously, but also a person who has an ability to bring a light onto some difficult ques-tions that torture musicians of my generation. With her life example she made me to believe irreversibly that there is no stronger power than sincerity, and that being yourself is the only possible form of exis-tence – in art same as in life.”

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Kaito Kobayashi

“An intact and sublime talent.”Maria João Pires

Born in 1995 in Yokohama, Japan, Kaito Kobayashi began his music studies in the Yamaha Music School at the age of four, taking lessons in piano, composition, and general music theory, and since 2008 till 2014, he had been studying at the Yamaha Master Class. In 2014, he graduated from the Ueno Gakuen Senior High School music courses.

He met Maria João Pires during a workshop she gave in Tokyo, without any hesitation she invited him to be a part of the Partitura Project in the Music Chapel.

“I studied music from a very young age, I feel lucky to have meet MJ Pires and that I could listen to one of her concerts. Her music is every inch natural, she always eliminates the hopeless things and leads me to genuine music. I’m sure that it will become a wonderful experience in my musical life to be a part of the Partitura Project.”

Milos Popovic

“How can you define a ‘grand talent’? For me, it is the symbiosis be-tween a sensitive force and subtle musicality, mixed with discipline and rigour. That’s what I find in Miloš”

Maria João Pires

Born in Belgrade in 1985, Milos began learning the piano at the age of 10 and from his first lesson, he knew it was to become his life compan-ion, as well as his means of expression. He studied at the Académie des Arts de Novi Sad with Biljana Gorunović then at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles alongside Eugène Moguilevsky, who taught him the ‘l’art de toucher’, a collaboration which lasted more than 10 years. He studied further at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel with Ar El Bacha. He met Maria João Pires at a festival in 2007.

“I was practising a Mozart sonata for 4 hands when I heard Maria João Pires knock on the door looking for a piano to practise on. Having heard me practising alone, she asked if I would like to play that sonata with her! What a way to discover her tireless generosity and her desire to share her knowledge with someone she hadn’t even met before! To continue to benefit from her precious advice is a unique opportunity; to learn these intangible needs which are necessary for a musician’s de-velopment. To be part of the Partitura Project is an immense privilege for me and it is the perfect way to deepen this relationship based on respect and sharing.”

Since 2013, Miloš has participated regularly in the ‘Equinox’ project, a project created by Maria João Pires which is devoted to developing children’s choirs in underprivileged areas with the aim of promoting mutual respect through learning music and developing stability and inner strength, so often buried inside or oppressed by modern society.

Bernard de Launoit, Executive PresidentGSM: +32 (0)475 23 94 40 - bdelaunoit@cmre.be Sophie van der Stegen, Project managerGSM: +32 (0)471 77 77 13 - partitura@cmre.beTel: +32 (0)2 352 01 14 - Fax: +32 (0)2 351 10 24

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