 Louise-Andrée Baril
Born in Cornwall, Ontario, Louise-Andrée Baril obtained a
master’s degree in piano from the University of Montreal in
1983. She then went on to study with Maria Curçio in London,
England, and attended several chamber music workshops with
Menahem Pressler. Winner of the Concours des matinées
symphoniques de Montréal and the Canadian Music Competition, she
was also awarded, in 1977, the first prize at the Young Pianists
Competition in New York, which was followed by a recital at
Carnegie Hall. Louise-Andrée Baril pursues a very active solo
and chamber music career. She performs regularly in Canada, the
United States, Mexico, South America and Europe. She is a member
of the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ), with
whom she frequently plays in concert. For three years, she was
the pianist of the popular television program Faites vos gammes
on CBC French Television, hosted by the violinist Angèle Dubeau.
She is musical director of the Camp musical des Laurentides
opera workshop. She has made over twenty recordings.
Louise-Andrée Baril has long been recognized as one of Canada’s
most accomplished musicians.
 Sandra Murray
Sandra Murray enjoys a brilliant career as a pianist. She has
performed for the Pro Musica and Début concert series, the
Orford Arts Centre and at the Festival de Lachine and Festival
International de Lanaudière. She has also played with numerous
orchestras and is often heard on Radio-Canada radio. As a
chamber musician, she has performed with such artists as Yossif
Ivanov, Yoonathan Berick, Jonathan Crow and the Alcan String
Quartet. As a member of the Ouellet-Murray piano duet, she
toured for Jeunesses Musicales of Canada, played at the Festival
International de duo-piano du Québec, the Montreal Festival
Orgue et Couleurs and the Festival des Basses-Laurentides and
conducted a “Jouer dans l’île” Montreal concert tour. In Spring
2001, the duet released its second CD under the Riche Lieu
label. For several years, Sandra Murray has been a frequent
guest of the Orford Arts Centre, working as a pianist in the
classes of Janos Starker, Paul Katz, Robert Langevin, James
Campbell and Laurence Lesser. After receiving bursaries from the
ministère de la Culture du Québec, she took part in the first
International Chamber Music Encounter of Jerusalem, where she
worked with Emmanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern and Yefim
Bronfman. She also travelled to Italy to pursue studies in vocal
repertoire. Sandra Murray was a pupil of Carlos Feliciati at the
Conservatoire de musique de Chicoutimi, where she received
prizes in piano and chamber music. She then studied at the
Peabody Institute of Baltimore with Julian Martin, returning to
Montreal to earn a master’s degree from McGill University under
Dale Bartlett. She is currently teacher-accompanist at the
Conservatoire de musique de Montréal.
 Suzanne Blondin
A native of Montreal, Suzanne Blondin obtained First Prize
with the highest distinction from the Conservatoire de musique
de Montréal in 1970. She pursued her musical studies in New York
with Maestro Sascha Gorodnitzki, professor at the Julliard
School of Music. She has played as a soloist with the Orchestre
symphonique de Montréal and with the Metropolitan Orchestra,
where she performed, among other works, a Canadian composition
recorded by Radio-Canada for the international French language
radio community. Suzanne Blondin has given numerous piano
recitals in the United States, France and Switzerland, and has
recorded for radio programs in Strasbourg, Geneva, Lausanne and
Lugano. A refined pianist and much sought-after accompanist, she
regularly performs in chamber music concerts with well-renowned
artists. She has recorded works by Otto Joachim, Jacques Hétu
and Claude Vivier with violist Robert Verebes and Schubert’s
works for male vocal quartets and piano with the Arioso
Ensemble. More recently, she recorded a CD with flutist Guy
Vanasse. Suzanne Blondin is currently a professor at the
Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, where she accompanies
various instrument classes and teaches chamber music.
 Claire Ouellet
Claire Ouellet enjoys an active career as a soloist and
chamber musician. The exceptional quality of her performances
has ensured her a spot on the leading stages and placed her in
high demand among some of the most renowned musicians. In
Quebec, she has performed in the Pro Musica series, the Montreal
Chamber Music Festival, the Lanaudière, Orford Arts Centre,
Domaine Forget, Sainte-Pétronille and Laterrière festivals, as
well as in the Maison Trestler summer concert series. A soloist
with many of the country’s top orchestras, she has also
performed as a guest soloist with the Grenada Symphony Orchestra
in Spain. She has given recitals in France, Switzerland, Germany
and the Czech Republic. Claire Ouellet can often be heard over
the airwaves of Radio-Canada. As a member of the Ouellet-Murray
piano duo, she has recorded two CDs under the Radio-Canada label
and was invited by Jeunesses Musicales of Canada to perform a
national concert tour in 2000-2001. Claire Ouellet studied with
Carlos Feliciati at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec,
garnering that institution’s First Prize for piano by unanimous
decision in 1987. She pursued her training in Paris after
receiving bursaries from the Quebec Department of Culture and
the Government of France. In 1994, she obtained a doctorate in
performance from the Université de Montréal, and since 1995 has
been a teacher and accompanist at the Conservatoire de musique
de Montréal.
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