Marie Bégin & Samuel Blanchette-Gagnon
Biography Marie Bégin & Samuel Blanchette-Gagnon
Marie Bégin
Canadian violinist Marie Bégin has performed in recitals in Canada, the United States, The United Kingdom, Europe, and China. She was soloist with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Les Violons du Roy, and the Agora Symphony Orchestra, among others. She is frequently invited to perform in several renowned ensembles, notably, as assistant concertmaster of the Hulencourt Soloist Chamber Orchestra for concerts in Milan, Brussels, and Spain. A passionate chamber player, she collaborates with renowned artists such as Charles Richard-Hamelin and Andrew Wan. At age 26, she was appointed first violin of the Saguenay Quartet (Alcan) as well as concertmaster of the Orchestre symphonique du Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean. She also forms a permanent duo with pianist Samuel Blanchette-Gagnon, a group that has been heard at the Riviera Music Academy in Switzerland, among others. The duo is currently working on a recording of 20th century works for violin and piano.
A graduate of the Conservatoire de musique de Québec, Marie Bégin studied with Andrée Azar, Jean Angers, and Darren Lowe. She then pursued her studies in Europe with Zakhar Bron, at his academy in Switzerland, but also at the Menuhin Academy, Kronberg Academy, and Mozarteum University.
Marie Bégin has been selected in several major international competitions, including the Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Poland and the Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition. She has won several prizes, including the grand prize at the Festival-Concours Pierre-de-Saurel and the international Rotary Douja d'Or prize awarded by Switzerland, France, Germany, and Italy. She is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. She plays on a J.B. Vuillaume violin (1850) graciously loaned by Canimex Inc.
