Alain Lefevre: A Musical Passion
BUENA PARK, CA (November 4, 2005) — When speaking of Alain Lefevre, pianist, performer, musical activist, composer and Yamaha artist, you’d be hard pressed not to use the word “passion.” Whether he’s composing, recording, garnering new fans on his international concert tours (which include endless free concerts for children), or hosting a weekly classical music show for Radio-Canada, Lefevre is famous for giving 200 percent to all he does.
 Yamaha Artist Alain Lafevre |
One is awed by the scope of his activity and senses he is a man with a mission: to keep the flame of classical music burning brightly by bringing its appreciation to an ever-widening audience.
“Right now there is a state of crisis in classical music,” says Lefevre. “Our culture is so distracted by the images of pop music that young, curious children and teenagers are not being given an option to hear anything that isn’t accompanied by an MTV video. This is why all over the world I play classical music concerts for children for free. The response from them is overwhelming. Some of these children actually have tears in their eyes when they hear this music for the first time.”
At his concerts, Lefevre performs on a Yamaha CFIIIS concert grand piano. “I tell the kids about this piano,” he says. “Believe me, if it wasn’t the best I wouldn’t be playing it. When I come to a concert hall I breathe a sigh of relief when I see a Yamaha piano. I know I can depend on it for whatever I’m going to play and however I’m going to play it.”
Lefevre’s busy touring schedule will bring him to Los Angeles on November 30 & December 1, at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, where he will perform Grieg’s Piano Concerto in a reunion with Conductor Carl St. Clair and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. A concert in New York City is being planned but not yet scheduled.
With a discography of 13 CDs released, Lefevre shows no signs of letting up. His latest album, Homage to Andre Mathieu, has received unanimous rave reviews and is selling briskly. After 25 weeks as one of the Top 10 Best Selling Classical CDs, Lefevre continues to be the only Canadian classical performer in the company of artists including Bocelli, Yo-Yo Ma and Domingo. As critics say of Lefevre’s CDs, “Run out and buy it.”
The success of Homage to Andre Mathieu is even more of an achievement considering the recording features the music of a practically unknown Quebec composer who died at the age of 39. Due to Lefevre bringing Andre Mathieu’s music to the public, a major movie project on Mathieu’s life is being scheduled, which will feature Lefevre performing all the piano works.
“The music of Andre Mathieu has always been a passion of mine,” Lefevre says of the Canadian-born child prodigy who composed his first classical piece, “Trois Etudes for piano,” at age four. The Mathieu compositions contained in Homage to Andre Mathieu are the perfect selection to introduce listeners to the works of this extraordinary composer – and as performed by Lefevre, it might be quite a while before there is a better or more passionate interpretation.
For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622, telephone (714) 522-9011, or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.
“Right now there is a state of crisis in classical music,” says Lefevre. “Our culture is so distracted by the images of pop music that young, curious children and teenagers are not being given an option to hear anything that isn’t accompanied by an MTV video. This is why all over the world I play classical music concerts for children for free. The response from them is overwhelming. Some of these children actually have tears in their eyes when they hear this music for the first time.”
At his concerts, Lefevre performs on a Yamaha CFIIIS concert grand piano. “I tell the kids about this piano,” he says. “Believe me, if it wasn’t the best I wouldn’t be playing it. When I come to a concert hall I breathe a sigh of relief when I see a Yamaha piano. I know I can depend on it for whatever I’m going to play and however I’m going to play it.”
Lefevre’s busy touring schedule will bring him to Los Angeles on November 30 & December 1, at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, where he will perform Grieg’s Piano Concerto in a reunion with Conductor Carl St. Clair and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. A concert in New York City is being planned but not yet scheduled.
With a discography of 13 CDs released, Lefevre shows no signs of letting up. His latest album, Homage to Andre Mathieu, has received unanimous rave reviews and is selling briskly. After 25 weeks as one of the Top 10 Best Selling Classical CDs, Lefevre continues to be the only Canadian classical performer in the company of artists including Bocelli, Yo-Yo Ma and Domingo. As critics say of Lefevre’s CDs, “Run out and buy it.”
The success of Homage to Andre Mathieu is even more of an achievement considering the recording features the music of a practically unknown Quebec composer who died at the age of 39. Due to Lefevre bringing Andre Mathieu’s music to the public, a major movie project on Mathieu’s life is being scheduled, which will feature Lefevre performing all the piano works.
“The music of Andre Mathieu has always been a passion of mine,” Lefevre says of the Canadian-born child prodigy who composed his first classical piece, “Trois Etudes for piano,” at age four. The Mathieu compositions contained in Homage to Andre Mathieu are the perfect selection to introduce listeners to the works of this extraordinary composer – and as performed by Lefevre, it might be quite a while before there is a better or more passionate interpretation.
For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622, telephone (714) 522-9011, or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.
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