Biography – trumpeter

Biography–trumpeter
Recognized by his peers as “one of Canada’s leading trumpet and cornet players” (the U.S.‐based International Trumpet Guild), Frédéric Demers is much in demand as a soloist with a variety of musical ensembles, principally since the release in 2008 of his solo disc Carnaval et Concertos. His accomplishments include two concertos premiered in 2013, one of them for six trumpets, one soloist and orchestra, the other for cornet and orchestra. Chamber music is a passion for Frédéric Demers. In that context he can be discovered in the theatrical concert that he produced himself, 8 trompettes et 1 piano, a concert with staging by Anne Millaire and in which, apart from Mr. Demers’s own work, pianist Jacynthe Riverin turns in a sterling performance. Moreover, he founded the trio Débonnaire, a brass trio dedicated to all styles of classical repertoire. Still as a chamber musician, Mr. Demers partnered with organist Catherine Todorovski to create an organ‐trumpet duo. And besides being one of the founding members of the brass quintet Impact, which began life in 1994, in 2007 he joined the dynamic Magnitude6, a sextet consisting of a brass quintet and drums, and devoted to contemporary music. As a freelancer, Frédéric Demers has played with almost all the symphony orchestras in Québec, including the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and the Orchestre Métropolitain. In 2006 he did a six‐concert tour in Germany on natural trumpet for the Netherlands Bach Society baroque orchestra. Always active with the young, Mr. Demers has helped popularize the trumpet across the country. In 2006 he conceived an innovative multimedia solo concert, The trumpet in all its forms, in which he plays seven different types of trumpet. In 2007 the concert was adapted as a coproduction with Jeunesses Musicales of Canada to become The 7 Trumpets of Fred Piston and has been presented close to 400 times before as many as 40,000 youngsters from three to twelve, in a number of Canadian provinces. In 2013, in collaboration with writer‐
director Mario Boivin, Mr. Demers did a new version for soloist and orchestra entitled Fred Piston Symphonizes with 7 Trumpets. That adaptation has been performed on five occasions, before a total of 4,100 young listeners. Frédéric Demers obtained his doctorate with honors in cornet performance from the Université de Montréal. He also earned an Artist Diploma at McGill University as well as a First Prize from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. www.Fred‐Demers.com
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(514) 387‐5826 8038 Henri‐Julien Montréal, (Qc) H2R 2B8 Biography–teacher
Frédéric Demers has taught trumpet and chamber music for a number of years. His pedagogical approach is at one and the same time stimulating, creative and personalized. Following a first teaching experience as lecturer in trumpet at the Université de Montréal, Mr. Demers has since 1999 given private trumpet classes at Collège Notre‐Dame, Collège Jean‐Eudes, Institut Reine‐Marie and at Collège Regina Assumpta in addition to being regularly invited as a brass specialist to various other institutions. Since 2007 he has also taught brass and chamber music at the Conservatoire de musique de Val‐
d’Or. Moreover, since 2006 Mr. Demers has given several lectures on varied subjects, including in connection with his doctorate in cornet performance at the Université de Montréal, and at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris, where he presented Herbert L. Clarke’s Technical Studies method. In addition, he had the opportunity to share with the students in composer Isabelle Panneton’s Research and Creation course, taught at the Université de Montréal, his efforts in preparing the survey that constituted the central issue of his doctoral thesis. He has also given lectures on brass as part of Vincent Verfaille’s organology seminar. In 2013 he presented two lecture‐workshops to the Fédération des associations musicales éducatives du Québec, one having to do with the art of teaching brass and the other with the group teaching of brass. Mr. Demers is regularly called on to judge participants in different competitions. Since 2007, in addition to judging exams in the conservatory network, he has been a judge at the Festival des harmonies et orchestres symphoniques du Québec, the Concours solistes et petits ensembles de Victoriaville, the Festival de musique du Royaume and on two occasions at the Opus awards in the disc of the year category. Finally, in 2013 he overhauled the trumpet program at UQÀM’s École préparatoire de musique. www.Fred‐Demers.com
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(514) 387‐5826 8038 Henri‐Julien Montréal, (Qc) H2R 2B8 ConcertsReviews
“Frédéric’s passion for the cornet is infectious, and his virtuosity has no equal…” Wanda Kaluzny Conductor ____________ “Demers’s work is a tour de force in this spectacular work composed especially for him by Louis Babin.” “Unveiling his talent by way of six trumpets, [Demers] presents the different personalities of the trumpeter through the diverse sounds of his instruments.” “…trumpeter Frédéric Demers, whose energies allowed us to observe the quality and beauty of the trumpet…masters [the instrument] with remarkable spontaneity and flexibility.” “Great art in the true sense of the term…” “...in addition to playing magnificently, [Demers] takes obvious enjoyment in what he does.” “Not one gesture too many, always precise, acting like the excellent musician he is, with nothing of the diva about him.” “Lustily applauded, with good reason, by the crowd when the recital came to an end on another excellent note.” “…he is accomplished and rock‐solid as a musician, as a trumpeter, with his six different trumpets, which he has mastered in a superlative way.” Laurent Leblond lebonblanc.overblog.com www.Fred‐Demers.com
info@Fred‐Demers.com
(514) 387‐5826 8038 Henri‐Julien Montréal, (Qc) H2R 2B8 CDReviews
“Frederic Demers is one of Canada’s leading trumpet and cornet players and this recording is ample evidence of that truth.” “Demers plays with great finesses and shows that he is not only a masterful technician but also a musician who plays with wonderful sensitivity.” “Demers plays with wit and nostalgic charm.” “... outstanding performances of the Neruda Concerto in E‐flat...” “[The Carnival of Venice in Montreal] allowing Demers to show off not only his cornet virtuosity, but also his superb abilities as jazz soloist.” International Trumpet Guild ____________ “…the success of this disc rests in the jaw‐dropping technical prowess and exemplary musicianship of soloist Frédéric Demers.” “…jazz improvisations by Demers himself, all of which bring the entire program to a rousing and highly entertaining close.” “Demers, playing an Eb cornet, dispatches the work with seemingly effortless elegance” “…all executed by Demers with a breathtaking brilliance that would probably rival that of Clarke himself.” “It is nonetheless an enjoyable listen.” “…the dazzling virtuosity and impeccable musicianship of trumpet and cornet soloist Frédéric Demers.” "This disc is a lot of good fun." Fanfare Magazine www.Fred‐Demers.com
info@Fred‐Demers.com
(514) 387‐5826 8038 Henri‐Julien Montréal, (Qc) H2R 2B8 www.Fred‐Demers.com
info@Fred‐Demers.com
(514) 387‐5826 8038 Henri‐Julien Montréal, (Qc) H2R 2B8 www.Fred‐Demers.com
info@Fred‐Demers.com
(514) 387‐5826 8038 Henri‐Julien Montréal, (Qc) H2R 2B8 www.Fred‐Demers.com
info@Fred‐Demers.com
(514) 387‐5826 8038 Henri‐Julien Montréal, (Qc) H2R 2B8