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Denis Brott

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CanadaDenis Brott (born December 9, 1950) is a Canadian cellist, music teacher and Montreal Chamber Music Festival artistic director.
Born in Montreal, the son of violinist and composer Alexander Brott and cellist Lotte Brott, and brother of conductor Boris Brott.


Early Years

He was raised in .....

Formal Training

  • 1959-68: He started is training with Walter Joachim at the CMM and from 1963-8 during the summers with Zara Nelsova at the Aspen Festival in Colorado.
  • 1968-71: He continued his training with Janos Starker at the University of Indiana.
  • 1971-75: Next he study with Gregor Piatigorsky at the University of Southern California.
  • finishing off: He served as Piatigorsky's assistant for a time and with bursaries from the Canada Council studied with Leonard Rose in New York, Maurice Gendron in Paris, and André Navarra in Siena.

Musical Career

International attention came to Mr. Brott in 1973 when he won 2nd Prize in the Munich International Cello Competition. His concert tours have taken him to four continents and numerous festivals including Marlboro, Sitka, Santa Barbara, and Banff. He is a sought after member of international juries including the Evian International String Quartet Competition (1993), the CBC Radio National Competition for Young Performers (1997), the Munich International ARD Cello Competition (1998), and the Munich International ARD String Quartet Competition (1996, 2008).

Chamber music being his calling, Denis Brott spent eight years in the Orford String Quartet during which time he recorded 25 chamber music discs. Especially acclaimed were the recordings of the complete string quartets of Beethoven, which won the Grand Prix du Disque Award (1988) and two Juno Awards (1985, 1987) for Best Chamber Ensemble Classical Recording. He has appeared as guest with numerous ensembles including the Emerson and Tokyo String Quartets.

His many solo recordings include the three Brahms Sonatas for cello and piano and Homage to Piatigorsky, perhaps his best known recording. It received this accolade from Yo-Yo Ma: "His playing throughout is exemplary, full of the rich sound and technical wizardry the master exemplified. I think Piatigorsky would be proud."

Teaching Career

Denis Brott has been a dedicated passionate educator in the field of music for most of his life. He has been professor of cello and chamber music at the North Carolina School of the Arts (1975-1977), the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan (1978-1980), the University of Toronto School of Music (1980-1989), and the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California (1992-2001). He held the cello chair at the Musicorda Chamber Music Institute and Festival (2005). A recent project involves bringing music classes to Montreal area high schools, mixing classical music with rap and break dancing. Mr. Brott is currently professor of cello and chamber music at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal (1990).

Instrument Bank

In 1985, Denis Brott played a pivotal role in the creation of the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank which buys top quality string instruments to lend to canadian muscians. It gave him a magnificent 1706 David Tecchler cello for his lifetime use.

Montreal Chamber Music Festival

Early in the 1990's, Denis Brott moved back to his birth place, Montreal. His parents Alexandre and Lotte Brott had run a summer concert series there called "Concerts Under the Stars". Denis decided he would like to pursue their concept of having classical music more accessible to the public, along the lines of an internation chamber music festival. He approached the then mayor of Montreal, Pierre Bourque, and got a very favourable reaction to the idea. It was decided to hold the festival at The Chalet which is situated in the huge Mont Royal Park. In the center of island of Montreal there is the remanents of an ancient extinct volcano and about half of it was made a park in 1876. Frederick Law Olmsted who designed Central Park in New York City was commissioned to landscape the new park. In 1995 the first Montreal Chamber Music Festival was held at The Chalet.

Mr. Brott has been the sole Artistic Director of the festival since then. The concept of chamber music that the festival embraces is one of a small group of musicians playing in intimate surroundings. Although the majority of the music is classical, a large part each year features other gendres like jazz, pop, and the avantgarde. The festival has also developed a tradition of mixing dance, visual presentations, and proses with live music. It has been a venue for talented new musicians as well.

In 2006 the festival moved to downtown Montreal into the historic and recently renovated St. James United Church. Though capable of holding eight or nine hundred people, the architecture is such as to enhance the intimate feel of this festival.

Discography

Solo

  • 3 Sonatas for Cello & Piano: Analekta AN2 9901 (Glen Montgomery, piano)
    • Johannes Brahms
    • Sonata in E Minor, Opus 38
    • Sonata in D Major, Opus 78
    • Sonata in F Major, Opus 99
  • Remembering Piatigorsky: Analekta FL2 3035
    • (Samuel Sanders, piano; Tony Randall, narrator; Evan Drachman, 2nd cello)
    • Beglarian "Of Fables, Foibles & Fancies"
    • Haydn Divertimento
    • Menotti Suite for 2 Cellos & Piano
    • Piatigorsky Syrinx for Solo Cello
    • Piatigorsky Promenade for Solo Cello
    • Piatigorsky Variations on the 24th Caprice of Paganini
  • Brott Arabesque for Cello & Orchestra: Analekta ANC 9801
    • (McGill Chamber Orchestra, Boris Brott, conductor)
  • Tribute to Piatigorsky: DFCDI-013
    • (same repertoire as FL2 3035)
  • Anthology of Canadian Music: CBC ACM20
    • Alexander Brott
    • Brott Psalmody for Solo Cello
    • Brott Shofar for Solo Cello
  • Debussy Sonate: CBC SM185
    • Schubert Introduction, Theme & Variations, Opus 82 #2
    • (Charles Reiner, piano)
    • Strauss Sonata in F Major, Opus 6
    • (Rebecca Penneys, piano)


Chamber Music

(recordings are as a member of the Orford String Quartet)


DE 3039 The Complete String Quartets of Beethoven Volumes I-VIII


D/CD 3031 The Complete String Quartets of Beethoven Volume I Quartet #1 in F Major, Opus 18 #1 Quartet #12 in E Flat Major, Opus 127


D/CD 3032 The Complete String Quartets of Beethoven Volume II Quartet #2 in G Major, Opus 18 #2 Quartet #13 in B Flat Major, Opus 130


DE 3033 The Complete String Quartets of Beethoven Volume III Quartet #5 in A Major, Opus 18 #5 Quartet #7 in F Major, Opus 59 #1 "Rasumovsky"


DE 3034 The Complete String Quartets of Beethoven Volume IV Quartet #8 in E Minor, Opus 59 #2 "Rasumovsky" Quartet #11 in F Minor, Opus 95


DE 3035 The Complete String Quartets of Beethoven Volume V Quartet #9 in C Major, Opus 59 #3 "Rasumovsky" Quartet #10 in E Flat, Opus 74 "Harp"


DE 3036 The Complete String Quartets of Beethoven Volume VI Quartet #3 in D Major, Opus 18 #3 Quartet #14 in C Sharp Minor, Opus 131


DE 3037 The Complete String Quartets of Beethoven Volume VII Quartet #4 in C Minor, Opus 18 #4 Quartet #15 in A Minor, Opus 132


DE 3038 The Complete String Quartets of Beethoven Volume VIII Quartet #6 in B Flat, Opus 18 #6 Quartet #16 in F Major, Opus 135 Quartet #17 Grosse Fugue, Opus 133


SEFD 5019 Brahms Piano Quintet in F Minor, Opus 34 (Gloria Saarinen, piano)


SNE 516 Brott "Critic's Corner" (Louis Charbonneau, percussion) Brott Songs of Contemplation (Maureen Forrester, mezzo-soprano)


CBC SMCD 504 Brott Ritual Elgar Introduction & Allegro Mercure Divertissement Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Simon Streatfield, conductor)


CNCO 983 Freedman Chalumeau (James Campbell, clarinet)


CTL S5256 Glick String Quartet #1 Prevost Ahimsa (Robert Aitken, flute; Sandra Graham, mezzo-soprano; Elmer Iseler Singers) Haydn Serenade, Opus 3 #5 Mozart Serenade (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik) Riley Concerto for String Quartet & Woodwind Doubler (Moe Koffman, flute, saxophone, clarinet)


CBC RCI550 Hetu String Quaratet, Opus 29 Morawetz String Quartet #2


DFL 6002 Ofra Harnoy & The Orford String Quartet Plays The Beatles (arrangements by Doug Riley) Musica Viva Mozart Quintet in A Major, K. 581


MVCD1032 Weber Quintet, Opus 34 (James Campbell, clarinet)


SMCD 5040-2* Mozart Quartet in G Major, K. 387 Quartet in D Minor, K. 421 Quartet in B Flat, K. 458 "Hunt" Quartet in C Major, K. 465 "Dissonant"


SMCD Mozart Quartet in B Flat, K. 589 (recorded for CBC but not yet released)


DFL 70089* Schubert Quintet in C Major, Opus 163 (Ofra Harnoy, cello)


DFC 7008 Orford Encores Borodin Nocturne & Scherzo from Quartet #2 Dvorak Waltz, Opus 54 #1 Foster (arr. Pochon) Old Black Joe Gagnon Tango Gershwin Lullaby Haydn Serenade from Quartet, Opus 3 #5 Lennon-McCartney (arr. Wilkins) Yesterday MacMillan A Saint Malo Puccini Crisantemi


FMCM 2 001 Moments magiques Schubert Presto from Trio #2 Opus 100 D929 Dvorak Poco adagio and Finale from Trio Opus 65

  • Juno Award winning album for Best Classical Recording in the Solo/Chamber Music Category

References

Denis Brott Montreal Chamber Music Festival Analekta Aspen Music Festival and School Munich International ARDA Competition

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