Yegor Dyachkov
Lauded for his remarkable stage presence, depth of insight, nuance and generosity, cellist Yegor Dyachkov is an inspired recitalist, chamber musician and concerto soloist. Since being proclaimed Artist of the Year by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, in 2000, Mr. Dyachkov has gone on to perform throughout Europe, Latin America, Asia, Canada and the United States, making his New York debut at Lincoln Center in October 2000. He has appeared with major orchestras in such cities as Antwerp, Geneva, Montreal, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto and Vancouver, and has performed at numerous international festivals in Évian, Kronberg, Lanaudière, Ottawa, Seattle and Tanglewood.

Deeply committed to chamber music, Yegor Dyachkov has performed with the Arditti, Borromeo and St. Lawrence Quartets, pianists Jean Saulnier, John Lenehan, Martin Roscoe, Anton Kuerti, Stéphane Lemelin and Marc-André Hamelin, violinists James Clark, Jonathan Crow, Antje Weithaas, Scott St. John, Andrew Wan and Yehonatan Berick, cellists Steven Isserlis and Colin Carr, and clarinetists James Campbell and Todd Palmer. He was part of Triple Forte for ten years until 2015 and is a member the Magellan Ensemble and of the Montreal Piano Trio.

Winning the Orford International Competition in 1997 led to an invitation from the Chandos label to record his debut CD featuring Glazunov's Concerto Ballata. He subsequently made several critically acclaimed recordings on the Analekta, Brioso, Atma, Doberman-Yppan and CBC/Riche-Lieu labels. A champion of new music, Mr. Dyachkov was soloist for the first French performance of Giya Kancheli’s Diplipito at the Evian Festival and for the North American premiere in Winnipeg. He is also the dedicatee of works by Michael Oesterle, Jacques Hétu, André Prévost and Ana Sokolovic. He was invited by Yo-Yo Ma and Sony Music to take part in the Silk Road Project.

Mr. Dyachkov studied with Aleksandr Fedorchenko in Moscow, Yuli Turovsky in Montréal and Boris Pergamenschikow in Cologne. He also had the opportunity to work with Mstislav Rostropovich, André Navarra, David Geringas and Frans Helmersson. Mr. Dyachkov teaches at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, and at l’Université de Montréal.

Jean Saulnier
leads an active career as a recitalist, chamber musician and teacher, with broad experience in both the solo and the chamber music repertoire. He is a sought-after collaborator by the best musicians from Canada and abroad, speaking eloquently to the flexibility, natural playing ability, and spirit of partnership he brings to every performance.

A recipient of numerous prizes in national and international competitions, including the William Kapell International Competition, the Prix d’Europe and the Leschetizky Competition, Jean Saulnier has performed in Canada, United States, South America and Europe. He has been guest soloist with renowned orchestras such as the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the Orchestre Métropolitain, the Rochester Philharmonic and I Musici de Montréal. He is frequently heard in major Canadian music festivals and on CBC radio.

Performing with his long-time partners’ cellist Yegor Dyachkov and clarinetist André Moisan, Jean Saulnier has recorded many major works from the chamber music repertoire on the Pelléas, ATMA, Analekta and Doberman-Yppan recording labels.

Jean Saulnier studied with Marc Durand, Leon Fleisher, and André Laplante. His doctorate from the University of Montreal was saluted with the Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal. He is currently Associate Professor at the Music Faculty of the University of Montreal where he has been teaching for over 20 years. He is regularly invited to give master classes at institutions of higher education. He frequently serves as a jury member for national and international competitions, higher education institutions and government agencies.

Jean Saulnier has been on the Artist Faculty of Porto Pianofest since 2018.