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TOUR DATES: February 3-19, 2017  (1 piano, 4 hands)

BIOGRAPHY:

Duo Fortin-Poirier, featuring pianists Amélie Fortin and Marie-Christine Poirier, has been heralded as one of the most promising piano duos of its generation. Both graduates of the Université de Montréal (Master and D.E.S.S.) under the direction of Jean-Eudes Vaillancourt and Paul Stewart, the two pianists won several awards and grants individually before making their debut as duettists in 2005. It was not long after that the natural connection between these two artists would lead them to become an extraordinarily powerful ensemble. Their complementing artistic intuition, explosive playing style and dynamic performances have been catching the attention of audiences and critics alike.

Since its creation, the Duo Fortin-Poirier has given many concerts in Canada as well as abroad. The two pianists have been awarded grants from the Office Franco-Québécois pour la Jeunesse (2005), the Conseil des Arts et Lettres du Québec (2009-2010), the Canada Council for the Arts (2011-2013), and have won numerous prizes including First Prize at the Concours de Musique Clermont-Pépin, the Festival de Musique du Royaume as well as the Canada Music Competition.

At the international level, they were finalists in the Concours International de Piano à 4 mains de Valberg (France, 2009) and in the Liszt 200 Chicago International Piano Duos Competition (U.S., 2011). Their brilliant interpretation of John Corigliano’s Gazebo Dances also awarded them a special mention from the jury at the prestigious Concours Grieg – International Piano Competition in Oslo (Norway, 2010). Recently, they won the 2nd price at the Roma International Piano Competition (Italy, 2013).

Very active on the Canadian scene, Amélie Fortin and Marie-Christine Poirier created the Vingts doigts et un piano concert in 2008 and they have since performed it in every corner of Quebec. It was actually the first classical concert selected to take part in the Entrées en Scène Loto-Québec for the 2013-2014 season. Other highlights include a recent appearance at the prestigious Lanaudière Festival in the summer of 2015. In addition, Duo Fortin-Poirier was selected by both Debut Atlantic and Prairie Debut to tour in the 2016.17 season and will tour on the west coast of the United States in April of 2017.

The duo’s first CD, Vingt doigts et un piano, was released at the end of November 2013, and can be heard on Ici Radio-Canada Première, Espace Musique and Radio Classique Montreal and Quebec.