ArtLink Young Talents’ Festival & The French Musical Autumn: OPENING CONCERT

Belgrade City Hall, 2 Dragoslava Jovanovića st.
Friday, October 3, at 20:00h

Opening Concert of the ArtLink Young Talents’ Festival 2014 & The French Musical Autumn

Jean-Paul Gasparian, piano, France

The ArtLink Young Talents’ Festival, drawing from the founding principles of similar festivals in Europe, supports the professional advancement and performing talent of young artists. The young artists are provided with an opportunity to jointly think of and to realise fresh cultural content through an interaction of their individual artistic expressions, ideas and experiences, within an inspiring and creative environment.

Every year in Belgrade the ArtLink Young Talents’ Festival aims to bring together the already established and recognized artists and young promising artists – winners of international competitions and awards – with the goal of creating a Festival with a pronounced European character allowing for the international promotion of the best individuals from European countries.

This project supports the fulfilment of the goal to present the most promising young artists from Serbia as well. Through cooperation with eminent national and international artists and through quality art programmes – workshops, masterclasses, discussions as well as concerts – the young artists are offered highly professional art advice, training and opportunities to perform. The ArtLink Young Talents’ Festival offers the audience a succession of concerts at prestigious Belgrade venues such as the Belgrade City Hall, the Students’ Cultural Centre, the Gallery of Frescos and other similar venues. During the Festival, the “The Most Promising Young Artist” of the year is promoted and supported. This year’s Festival will promote the brilliant young cellist Irena Josifoska, whose CD was published with the kind support of Société Générale Bank in Serbia, ArtLink’s strategic partner.

With its partners and associates, ArtLink has already implemented a number of projects accomplishing significant cultural exchange and cooperation with artists and cultural institutions from all around Europe. The 2014 ArtLink Young Talents’ Festival is brought to you in partnership with the French Institute in Belgrade, the Embassy of the Czech Republic, Kulturforum of Austria, the Italian Institute in Belgrade, the Central European Initiative, the Students’ Cultural Centre of Belgrade, the National Museum’s Gallery of Frescos and the Belgrade City Hall.

“The most amazing young French pianist”

Born in august 1995 in Paris, raised by a family totally devoted to classical music, Jean-Paul Gasparian has begun to study in Paris Conservatory with prof. Olivier Gardon where he has obtained his graduation in 2009  (Prix en Cycle Spécialisé – unanimous jury). The same year, he has succeeded to join the solo piano class (graduation in June 2010).

In February 2010, he is admitted to Paris CNSM (jury unanimous) in Jacques Rouvier and Prisca Benoît class, despite his very young age (14 y.o. !). In September 2012, he joins Michel Béroff and Bertrand Chamayou’s class in CNSM where he is graduated in June 2013 (mention très bien, and one more time unanimous jury!).

Beside of solo piano class, he has studied chamber music in Claire Désert, François Salque and Michel Strauss’s classes.

Jean-Paul Gasparian has been a member of several summer academies: Mâcon, Salzbourg, Leipzig, Tel-Aviv and he has followed recently two masterclasses « Les Nuits d’été de Mâcon » with Jacques Rouvier and « International Holland Music Sessions » in Bergen with Pavel Gililov.

Starting September 2013, Jean-Paul Gasparian is following a master degree course in Paris CNSM and he continues his studies with Michel Béroff; he is currently preparing several international piano competitions.

Jean-Paul Gasparian is yet laureate of international competition such as FLAME competition (1er Grand Prix, 2009),

Tel-Haï International Concerto Competition (3ème Prix, 2012), Hastings Piano International Competition (3ème Prix, mars 2013), and he has been a finalist of « Virtuoses du Cœur competition » in Paris in 2013.

In July 2013, Jean-Paul Gasparian has won the third Prize in Concourse International de Piano de Lyon where he has become the youngest laureate ever.

2013 has definitely been a fatuous year for him because he has been graduated (Baccalauréat Littéraire with mention TB) and he has also won the 1st Prize in Philosophy of the French national school contest Concours général.

Jean-Paul Gasparian has already played in Paris: salle Gaveau, salle Pleyel, salle Cortot, théâtre Marigny and also in Salzburg Mozarteum, in Leipzig Bundesverwaltungsgericht, in Tel Aviv Museum of Modern Art and in Chartres : Théâtre ; he has also played chamber music in a lot of festivals Eure Poétique et Musicale, Vexin, Richelieu, Nancyphonies, Piano en Valois…

In 2013, Jean-Paul Gasparian has played Liszt 1st Piano Concerto in Tel-Aviv and Beethoven 3rd Piano Concerto with Orchestre de Basse Normandie cond. Jean-Pierre Wallez. In recital, he has also played at the Polish Embassy in Paris and in Festival Chopin de Bagatelle.

In February 2014, he won the Special Prize Denis Antoine, Fondation AVC CHARITY at International Piano Campus in Cergy Pontoise.

In March, Jean-Paul won the Second Prize and the Youngest Prize in Bremen Competition. In the finale, he played the 1st Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto with the Bremer Philharmoniker, Nicholas Milton director.

Jean-Paul Gasparian was the member of the Verbier Academy 2014.