About

Musique Royale is delighted to feature pianist David Potvin at Cecilia’s Retreat in Mahone Bay for a morning performance with brunch on Saturday September 14 at 11 am. Hailed by La Scena Musicale as a rising star of 2022, Montréal-based pianist David Potvin is quickly establishing himself as one of Canada’s most exciting pianists, having also won the prestigious 2022 Eckhardt-Gramatté competition also that year. His program in Mahone Bay will feature hits like Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and two exquisite Nocturne’s by Chopin, along with other works by Liszt, Bolcom and Debussy.

About David Potvin

Hailed by La Scena Musicale as a rising star of 2022, Montréal-based pianist David Potvin is quickly establishing himself as one of Canada’s most exciting pianists. As winner of the 2022 Eckhardt-Gramatté competition, he went on a recital tour across Canada in the fall of 2022. That fall also saw the release of the album Breathe In, Breathe Out, where David appeared alongside composer-pianist Edward Enman.

David is a versatile performer with an interest in a wide range of repertoire. His imaginative programs seamlessly combine standard repertoire and contemporary music, with a focus on Canadian repertoire. Recent concert highlights include American premieres of Canadian music performed at the University of Arkansas; a recital with violinist Martin Beaver; a recital in collaboration with the Canadian Music Centre celebrating the works of Quebec composer Jacques Hétu; and two recitals of Beethoven piano sonatas as part of the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance’s Beethoven 250 celebration. He has also performed for the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto, Acadia University’s “Sunday Music in the Garden Room” series, Toronto Public Library’s Orchardviewers Club, the Bathurst Chamber Music Festival and Scotia Festival of Music. Internationally, David has performed in festivals in the USA, France, Romania and England. His overseas appearances have been supported by the Nova Scotia Talent Trust.

Equally passionate about teaching, David maintains a private piano studio where he teaches students of all ages in both of Canada’s official languages. He has also given masterclasses at universities across Canada and in the United States. He is a member of the Royal Conservatory of Music’s College of Examiners, and he has adjudicated for festivals and competitions across Canada. He is a member of the Quebec Registered Music Teachers Association, and is a professeur affilié at the École de musique Vincent-d’Indy in Montréal.

David received his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Toronto in fall of 2020. There, he studied with Marietta Orlov and won the DMA recital competition. His thesis on the pianist Ricardo Viñes, who premiered many solo piano works by Ravel and Debussy, brought new information about this celebrated musician into English-language scholarship. David’s paper entitled “Poissons d’or: a comparative source analysis” was presented at Claude Debussy in 2018: A Centenary Celebration, an international conference in Glasgow.

David completed his Bachelor of Music in piano performance at Acadia University, studying with Ronald Tomarelli. At Acadia, David was supported by the Minnie A. Poole scholarship in music. David holds an ARCT in piano performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music. During his studies towards this diploma he won the silver medal for the highest exam mark in his region twice. David has performed in masterclasses for eminent pedagogues including Martha Argerich, André Laplante, Janina Fialkowska, James Anagnason, and John Perry.

David is currently preparing to record his debut album which will featuring pieces he performed during his prize winning recital at the Eckhardt-Gramatté competition. This project is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. He is also researching Léo-Pol Morin, a Quebec pianist and critic who was instrumental in bringing the avant-garde musical movement to Canada, with the aim of recording his compositions and the music of his contemporaries. In his spare time, David enjoys watching soccer, cooking, exploring Montréal, and trying to keep up with his baby boy.