Lucas Debargue Recital "Piano nouvelle génération"

Though placed ‘only’ fourth at the 15th International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2015, Lucas Debargue was the only musician across all disciplines who was awarded the coveted Moscow Music Critic’s Prize as a pianist ‘whose incredible gift, artistic vision and creative freedom impressed the critics as well as the audience’.

Straight after this incredible breakthrough Lucas Debargue was invited to play solo and with leading orchestras in the most prestigious concert halls in Russia, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, China, South Korea and with such famous conductors as Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Vladimir Jurowski, Andrey Boreyko, Gidon Kremer, Vladimir Spivakov and Vasily Petrenko.

In March 2016, he released his first album under the Sony Classical label, with works by Scarlatti, Chopin, Liszt and Ravel. His second album, a dialogue between Bach, Beethoven and Medtner was released in September 2016, also with Sony Classical.

Born in 1990, Lucas Debargue was 11 years old when he took his first piano lessons at the Compiègne Conservatory in the class of Christine Muenier. He was fascinated by the virtuoso repertoire, yet it was not until 10 years later, after graduating from Paris Diderot University with a Licence degree in arts and letters, that he decided to return to studying piano at the professional level.

After a year of study at the Beauvais Conservatory in the class of Philippe Tamborini, he was introduced in 2011 to his current mentor, the celebrated Russian professor Rena Shereshevskaya at the Rueil-Malmaison Conservatory. This encounter was decisive for Lucas: she quickly recognized in him a performer with a bright future and accepted him in her class at the Alfred Cortot Paris Superior Music School to prepare him for the major international competitions. During his studies he was supported by the Cortot School, the Zaleski Foundation as well as by the Massy Opera Orchestra (led by Dominique Rouits) and the orchestral ensemble Les Voyages Extraordinaires (led by Joachim Jousse). In 2014, he won 1st prize at the 9th Gaillard International Piano Competition (France) before becoming one of the prize winners at the 15th International Tchaikovsky Competition, when the world instantly took note of this rising pianist. Concurrent with his studies at Cortot School, he obtained a Licence degree at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris  (CNSM).

Inspired by literature, painting, film and jazz, deeply committed to a creative approach, Lucas Debargue is keen to present works by lesser-known composers such as Medtner, Roslavetz, Maykapar, and to develop highly personal and incredibly thoughtful interpretations from a carefully selected repertoire. He also composes his own music, and some of his works have already been premiered in Russia as well as in France.

In April 2016, he obtained a Diplôme Supérieur de Concertiste and a Special Cortot Prize at the Cortot School. At present he continues to do post-graduate work with Rena Shereshevskaya.