Hailed as a smashing and arresting virtuoso, a pianist who breaks the mold and who stands out from the typical trends and artifices offered on the international scene, Alain Lefèvre pursues a sparkling career, having performed in over forty countries to prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Cadogan Hall, Théatre des Champs-Élysées, Théatre du Châtelet, Salle Pleyel, Palais Princier de Monaco, Teatro Colon, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Megaron, Odeon of Herodes Atticus and participated to numerous international festivals including SPAC, Ravinia, Wolf Trap, Athens, Epidaurus, Istanbul , Cervantino, Mozart Plus, Orford Musique, Domaine Forget, Lanaudière and Expo 2010 Shanghaï, to name but a few.
Saluted for his phenomenal technique, his sparkling playing resulting in fascinating interpretations and his sovereign mastery, his dazzling performances were many times described as unequaled and unparalleled. Yet, his humbleness remains disarming, considering himself to be only a “mason of the piano, solely at the service of the great composers and their music.” Author, music journalist and radio host Olivier Bellamy, shared with his listeners on his program broadcasted on Radio-Classique (France), a letter that he addressed to his guest Alain Lefèvre on his latest CD release, My Paris Years. Dr. Hedi Salanki-Rubardt, Distinguished University Professor and Director of Piano and Chamber Music, teaches piano and harpsichord performance, keyboard interpretation, musical structure and style, and chamber music.
Salanki-Rubardt has gained international recognition for her extensive repertoire of solo and chamber works for both piano and harpsichord. Her performances have been praised for their naturalness, grace, and sense of flow.
A highly sought-after performer, adjudicator, and lecturer, her recent engagements include the San Jose International Baroque Festival in Costa Rica; the World Piano Conference in Serbia; a piano competition in Kunming, China; the Lancaster International Piano Festival; lecture-recitals in Chengdu and Guangzhou; and a teaching residency at the Interharmony International Music Festival in Germany.
She has performed with the New Jersey Symphony, New York Chamber Orchestra, I Solisti New York, Syracuse Symphony, Pensacola Symphony, and Mobile Symphony, among others. Her solo, duo, and lecture-recital performances have taken her across Europe, Canada, Japan, China, Central America, and New Zealand.
Salanki-Rubardt has recorded numerous major works by Johann Sebastian Bach, including the Goldberg Variations (nominated for Ovation Magazine’s Debut Artist of the Year Award), the Concerti, and the complete English Suites. Her discography also includes Scarlatti sonatas, Telemann overtures, and a French Baroque program.
As the founding Artistic Director of the Four Seasons Baroque Ensemble, she received critical acclaim for artistic excellence and innovative programming. In 2015, she was named a Yamaha Artist in recognition of her outstanding contributions to piano performance and education.
Dr. Salanki-Rubardt holds a master’s degree from Rutgers University and a doctorate in harpsichord performance from The Juilliard School. She also earned degrees and diplomas in piano performance from the Franz Liszt Academy of Music and the Bartók Conservatory in Budapest. Alain Lefèvre has appeared with major symphonic and chamber orchestras worldwide including the Royal Philharmonic, London Mozart Players, Orchestre National de France, Philharmonie de Lorraine, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, National Symphony (Washington D.C.), Houston Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Florida Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, Orchestra of St-Luke’s, Tucson Symphony, Komische Oper Berlin, SWR Stuttgart, Nuremberg Symphony, Staatskapelle Weimar, Wuppertal Symphony, Philharmonie Südwestfalen, Cracow Philharmonic, Slovak Radio Symphony (Bratislava), Athens State Orchestra, Istanbul State Symphony, Presidential State Symphony Ankara, National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, National Symphony Orchestra of Buenos Aires, Montreal Symphony, Toronto Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, Quebec Symphony, China Philharmonic, Shanghaï Symphony, Guangzhou Symphony, Malaysian Philharmonic, and the Moscow Virtuosi.
He performed amongst others with conductors Matthias Bamert, James Conlon, Franz-Paul Decker, Enrique Diemecke, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Michael Francis, JoAnn Falletta, Claus Peter Flor, Lawrence Foster, Fabien Gabel, George Hanson, Jacek Kaspszyk, Bernhard Klee, Gérard Korsten, Jacques Lacombe, Cristian Maceralu, Alexander Mickelthwate, Tania Miller, Ludovic Morlot, Kent Nagano, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Charles Olivieri-Munroe, Adrian Prabava, Jean-François Rivest, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Scott Speck, Vladimir Spivakov, Carl St-Clair, Nikolaj Szeps-Naider, Yoav Talmi, Robert Trevino, Alain Trudel, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Alexander Shelley, Keri-Lynn Wilson, Long Yu and Jean-Marie Zeitouni.
From the beginning of his career, Alain Lefèvre has included, commissioned and battled for the music of our time. Henri Dutilleux, John Corigliano, Pierre Max Dubois, Walter Boudreau, François Dompierre, Alain Payette and Alexander Brott, are but a few of the composers he worked with and has added to his core repertoire. We owe him the rehabilitation of the forgotten composer and pianist of genius, the “Canadian Mozart”, André Mathieu, which works he also revived on stage in New York, Paris, London, Berlin, Shanghaï and many other cities worldwide. He was music director, composer and interpreter for the motion picture L’Enfant prodige (The Child Prodigy), on the life of André Mathieu.
In 2018, Warner Classics signed him as an exclusive recording artist, releasing this year its first title, My Paris Years, on their prestigious label*.
Mr. Lefèvre is Officer to the Order of Canada, Chevalier of the National Order of Quebec, Chevalier of the Pléiade Order, and also won the prestigious AIB Award held in London, for – International personality of the year – Radio, hosting programs on classical music, broadcasted on ICI Musique, Radio-Canada.