Patrice Laré, piano

Born in Paris, Patrice Laré began his piano studies with Professor Igor Lavrov. At the age of 17, he studied at the “Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris” under Pierre Sancan. A year later, he was admitted to the Moscow State Conservatory, where he studied eight years in the class of Professor Youri Slessarev. In 1990, he obtained a “Master of Fine Arts” degree and two years later - an “Artist Diploma”. With the help of his teachers, he has inherited the traditions of the Russian Piano School, represented by H. Neuhaus and S. Feinberg.

In his attempt to further expand his horizons, Patrice settled in Quebec, Canada in 1993. He continued his musical studies at a doctorate level in the Department of Music at the University of Montreal in the class of Dr. Natalie Pepin. In 1994, Patrice Laré won the First University of Montreal Concerto Competition, and in May 1998 he completed his D.M.A. under the direction of Professor Marc Durand.

Although his repertoire extends from Bach to Shostakovich, Patrice Laré prefers the masterpieces of the romantic repertoire including the works of Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Franck, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Schumann, and Tchaikovsky.

Patrice Laré has given numerous concerts in France, Russia, Bulgaria, Canada and the United States. He has performed as a soloist with various orchestras, and in recital, and as well, in a duo with his spouse, the cellist Velitchka Yotcheva. Through their great love for chamber music, Patrice and Velitchka founded the Montreal Chamber Music Society. Recently, he has participated in prestigious festivals such as the Festival de Musique du Mont-Tremblant, the International Festival of Chamber Music of Niagara, the Summer Festival of Maison Trestler, the Weathersfield Music Festival (Vermont). He has also played for the Pro Musica Society in Montreal. These concerts were frequently broadcasted on Radio Canada. In Bulgaria, he has participated in the Musical Weeks of Sofia, the International Summer Festival of Varna, and the International Music Festivals of Plodiv and Stara Zagora. Patrice Laré participated with the Trio Rachmaninoff de Montréal in the 2000 Björklunden Music Series and gave a concert at Lawrence University (Wisconsin). He also performed a concert for the International Festival “Bravissimo” in Guatemala City (Central America).

More recently, Patrice participated again in the Musical Weeks of Sofia, Bulgaria, and in October he toured French Polynesia. He was also invited by the General Delegation of Quebec to perform two concerts in Berlin and Munich.

Patrice Laré also devotes himself to teaching. During his five-year doctorate residency at the University of Montreal, he was appointed a Piano Lecturer. He also conducted Master classes at Lawrence University in Wisconsin, Sofia State Conservatory (Bulgaria), Quebec Conservatory in Rimouski, and Brock University in St. Catharines (Ontario). Patrice was invited as a resident artist at ISMA (International School of Musical Arts) and MIMC (Montreal International Music Camp), where he taught piano and chamber music.

Patrice Laré recently released a recording of Franz Liszt’s Sonata in B minor under the XXI-21 Records label. His discography also includes two CDs with cellist Velitchka Yotcheva - one, containing virtuoso pieces for cello and piano, and another with two great sonatas by Franck and Brahms. Patrice’s first album was released in 2004, containing the trios of Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich with the Trio Rachmaninoff de Montréal, under the ATMAclassique Label.

Velitchka Yotcheva, cello

Velitchka Yotcheva, one of Canada’s most gifted young cellists, enjoys a brilliant career as a soloist with various orchestras in Europe, Russia, South America and Canada. She also performs as a chamber musician to great acclaim throughout Canada, as well as Russia, Bulgaria, France and the United States.

Velitchka Yotcheva was trained in the Russian school of cello playing, as represented by Mstislav Rostropovich and Simeon Kozolupov. Born in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, she started her musical studies at the age of five with Professor Tacho Tachev. At 18, she left for Moscow to attend the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where she studied with Marina Tchaikovskaya (former student and assistant to Rostropovich) and later worked under the direction of Valentin Feigin. She also studied chamber music with Alexander Korchagin (member of the Shostakovich Quartet). In 1992, she obtained her Master of Fine Arts degree from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Moscow. After moving to Canada in 1995, Velitchka Yotcheva completed her Doctorate Studies in Music in 2000, at the University of Montreal, under the supervision of Yuli Turovsky. She is the winner of two Bulgarian national competitions, and also a top prize winner at the Orford Arts Centre International Competition.

Velitchka Yotcheva has given numerous concerts in Russia, Bulgaria, France, Canada and the United States. She has performed as a soloist with various orchestras, and in recital, and as well, in a duo with her spouse, the pianist Patrice Laré. These performances have received great public and critical acclaim. Through her great love for chamber music, Velitchka, with Patrice Laré, founded the Montreal Chamber Music Society, of which she is the artistic director.

More recently, she has participated in prestigious festivals such as the Festival de Musique du Mont-Tremblant, the Weathersfield Music Festival and the International Chamber Music Festival of Niagara. She has also played for the Pro Musica Society in Montreal, and the Montreal Chamber Music Society, of which she is the artistic director. In Bulgaria, she has participated in the Musical Weeks of Sofia, and the International Music Festivals of Varna, Plodiv and Stara Zagora. More recently, Velitchka Yotcheva performed a concert for the International Festival “Bravissimo” in Guatemala City (Central America), gave a concert and a master class at the North Carolina School of the Arts, and toured French Polynesia.

Velitchka Yotcheva is also a well-established teacher. She often gives Master classes in Bulgaria, Canada and USA. Mrs Yotcheva has held classes in summer academies in Canada and the United States, such as International School for Musical Arts (Niagara-on-the Lake, Canada), Montreal International Music Camp and Weathersfield Music Festival (Vermont, USA).

Velitchka Yotcheva has already recorded four CDs as a soloist and chamber musician. In early 2004, together with the Trio Rachmaninoff de Montreal, she released a CD under the ATMAclassique Label (Canada). This recording includes the trios of Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich. The second CD, which consists of virtuoso pieces for cello and piano, was released in April 2005 under the Label XXI-21 Records (Canada). Velitchka Yotcheva also recorded the complete J. S. Bach Cello Suites. This double album was released in December 2005 under the Label XXI-21 Records. To highlight this occasion, Mrs Yotcheva performed the Six Suites by J. S. Bach on December 11, 2005 at the “Chapelle Historique du Bon Pasteur” in Montreal. The fourth album was released in March 2008 and includes the Sonatas for Cello and Piano by C. Franck and J. Brahms. In early 2010, she recorded the Rachmaninov trios with violinist Jean Sébastien Roy and pianist Patrice Laré. Mrs. Yotcheva has just released the first CD of the I Cellisti orchestra, an ensemble of twelve cellists, which she created in 2008.

I Cellisti, orchestra