|
Derek Yaple-Schobert (rhymes with "Maple-Show-Bert") is
a well-traveled American / Canadian pianist, based in Montreal, who
brings classical music to a wide audience. With his own engaging and
insightful commentary, he guides newcomers to the classical genre, as
well as seasoned concertgoers, taking them on memorable musical
journeys. His fully memorized programs played without sheet
music, Internationally, Derek Yaple-Schobert has performed in Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden and USA. One of Yaple-Schobert's competition performances so impressed a French adjudicator, that he invited him to perform three recitals in France. Sponsored by the Canadian Embassy in Stockholm, he toured Sweden. Noteworthy recitals in Denmark include the Odense Musikforening (established in 1866) and the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus. Performances in the German town of Flensburg include a debut recital at the Music Society and a return engagement at the Danish Duborg School.
Aside from music and enjoying the cultural diversity and vibrancy of the big city, Derek enjoys escaping to a cabin in Abitibi, wilderness 650 km north of Montreal. |
feature a
broad spectrum of the immortals: the wit of Haydn,
the emotional pathos of Beethoven, the unearthly
beauty of Schubert, the dazzling virtuosity of Liszt or the intensity
of Prokofiev, as well as rarely heard yet captivating Nordic music. He
leaves his audiences with a refreshing feeling of discovery, as he
takes them through the breathtaking musical landscapes of the Norwegian
Edvard Grieg, the individualistic music of the Dane Carl Nielsen, or
the evocative sounds of the Swede Erland von Koch.
BRAVO! Television featured him
on "The Classical Now II", highlighting The best of the next generation
of Canadian classical musicians (watch an excerpt at the end of the
Listen page). The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has recorded
two of his recitals live. In November, 2008, WNMU FM Radio recorded
Yaple-Schobert's live recital at Northern Michigan University in
Marquette, Michigan, later broadcast globally via the internet. CBC
Radio 2 (across Canada) and Montreal's CJPX Radio regularly broadcast
selections from Yaple-Schobert's first CD, Nordic Passion including
works by Scandinavians J.P.E. Hartmann, Niels W. Gade, Erland von Koch,
Harald Sæverud, a contemporary Canadian work, as well as Haydn and
Schubert. Universal distributes his 2009 critically acclaimed 2nd CD on
the XXI label with works by Edvard Grieg.
Derek Yaple-Schobert won 1st
Prize at the Montreal Classical Music Festival and the Award for Best
Interpretation of a Canadian work awarded by the Canadian Music Centre
at Prix d'Europe, as well as several grants from the Canada Council for
the Arts and the Quebec Arts Council. He also won 2nd Prizes at the
North-American "French Music Days" Competition, the prestigious
Canadian National Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition and the National Finals
of the Canadian Music Competition. Fellowships from the
American-Scandinavian Foundation in NYC enabled Yaple-Schobert to take
private studies in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Royal College of Music in
Stockholm, Sweden, invited him as International Guest for one complete
year at its elite "Edsberg Musikinstitution". In addition, he took
short term studies on scholarship at the Maurice Ravel Academy in
St-Jean-de-Luz, France, the Taubman Institute of Piano in NYC, the
Hartt School of Music in Connecticut, the Banff Centre in Alberta,
Canada and the Orford Arts Centre south of Montreal. With full
scholarships, Yaple-Schobert was awarded a Doctorate in Music in Piano
Performance from the University of Montreal, by unanimous decision.|
“...One was transported beyond the furthest planets during Yaple-Schobert's piano recital...” — Flensburg Daily, Denmark / Germany “You know, I don't really like classical music and I attend only because of my wife, but you were incredible!” — Anonymous "fan", Banff Arts Centre “...inciting a flood of applause from the audience...Liszt performed flawlessly... standing ovation worthy performance” — The Clarion, Kindersley, Saskatchewan, November 2008 “Yaple-Schobert, piano, demonstrated mastery of his art…the Concerto in D Major by Haydn was played with all the subtleties…” — The Sherbrooke Tribune |
REVIEWS