FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

October 5, 2020 

2021/22 DEBUT ATLANTIC ARTISTS ANNOUNCED! 

HALIFAX, NS – Debut Atlantic is pleased to announce another impressive line-up of artists for the 2021/22 Season! Partnering with presenters throughout Atlantic Canada, these extraordinary artists will offer concerts throughout the region. 

Jean-Luc Therrien, Piano (September 10-26, 2021) 

Named one of Canada’s 30 hot classical musicians under 30 for 2020 by CBC Music, Quebec born pianist Jean-Luc Therrien has been an active soloist, and chamber musician in Canada and abroad. Recently making his orchestral debut in Japan with the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, he is poised to dazzle the East Coast.  

Dinuk Wijeratne Trio, Piano, Percussion, Jazz Bass (October 15-31, 2021) 

Described by the Toronto Star as “a positive vision of our cultural future”, the Sri Lankan-born Dinuk Wijeratne is a JUNO and Masterworks award-winning artist who has established himself as one of Canada’s most performed contemporary Classical composers. Wijeratne is joined by the incredibly versatile multi-percussionist Nick Halley, and Tom Easley, one of Eastern Canada’s finest jazz bassists. 

Duo Cavatine, Cello and Piano (November 12-28, 2021) 

Praised for their vibrant and refined musicality, cellist Noémie Raymond-Friset and pianist Michel-Alexandre Broekaert display a dynamic and sensitive complicity, the secret of their captivating stage presence. Their great virtuosity, command of their instruments, and insightful musicianship makes them one of the most prominent emerging duos.  

Ensemble ALKEMIA, Vocal Trio (February 11-27, 2022) 

Ensemble ALKEMIA is well known for its particular blend of voices, colours, and its playful exploration of vocal music, mostly a cappella, from a period covering over 1,000 years. Since their founding, creating a deep connection between audience and the music they love to perform has been at the heart of their mission and passion. Get ready to be amazed! 

Tariq Harb, Guitar (March 11-27, 2022) 

Praised for “not just his flawless technique but also his refined taste and a great, innate sense for truly beautiful interpretation” (The Jordan Times), Tariq Harb has established himself as one of the leading classical guitarists of his generation. Harb’s past concert engagements include appearances in North America, Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia. Atlantic Canada is next! 

In addition to concerts, Debut Atlantic is committed to educational and community outreach, with a focus on connecting with and engaging community members outside of the concert hall. Educational performances, workshops, masterclasses, and live-streamed video conferencing sessions form the core of this pursuit. The offerings are rounded out by pop-up performances and partnerships with community organizations 

Debut Atlantic wishes to recognize the partners and sponsors that come together to bring these incredible artists to communities and venues of all sizes across our region. Touring these artists would not be possible without the generous support of sustaining partners, including Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Nova Scotia, and the Province of New Brunswick. Debut would also like to thank its educational partner, the Nova Scotia Department of Education; and its season partners, including the Halifax Regional Municipality, The Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation, Support4Culture, the Craig Foundation, Pink Larkin, Halcraft Printers, Strategic Arts Management, and InnVest Hotels (Comfort Inn). 

Full details on Debut Atlantic’s concert season and education programs can be found at www.debutatlantic.ca. Please see enclosed artist biographies for Debut Atlantic’s 2021/22 Artists. 

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As one of Canada’s most prestigious classical music organizations, Debut Atlantic is committed to developing young artists and establishing new initiatives that enhance the cultural life of Atlantic Canada. Since 1979, it has treated Atlantic audiences to Canada’s most promising young musicians, gracing the stages of venues from Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.  

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For further information, please contact: 

Erin Sparks – Executive Director 

Debut Atlantic 

902-429-6812 

erin@debutatlantic.ca 

 

-Or- 

 

Elizabeth Upson Perez – Program Officer 

Debut Atlantic 

902-429-6812 

elizabeth@debutatlantic.ca 

 

2021/22 Season Artist Biographies 

Quebec born pianist Jean-Luc Therrien has been an active soloist in Canada and abroad. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with several musicians and ensembles including the Quatuor Claudel-Canimex and French violinist Jean-Samuel Bez, with whom he toured in Eastern Canada and Europe in 2019. Together, they also won the Grand Prize at the Luigi Zanuccoli International Competition in Italy. More recently, he performed a series of recitals in Toronto with violinist Mai Tategami and cellist Zlatomir Fung, Gold Medalist of the prestigious Tchaikovsky International Competition. Over the years, Jean-Luc has also stood out in many competitions such as the Glenn Gould School Concerto Competition (winner) and the Mauro Paolo Monopoli Prize International Piano Competition in Italy (3rd prize and audience prize), as well as being awarded several prizes like the Governor General of Canada’s Academic Medal and a grant from the Canadian Council for the Arts to pursue musical projects in Europe. Jean-Luc is a graduate of the Conservatoire de Musique de Trois-Rivières (Quebec), the University Mozarteum Salzburg (Austria), and the University of Toronto. (Sep. 10-26, 2021) 

Described by the Toronto Star as ‘a positive vision of our cultural future’, the Sri Lankan-born Dinuk Wijeratne is a JUNO and Masterworks award-winning artist who has established himself as one of Canada’s most performed contemporary Classical composers, following collaborations with such wide-ranging artists and ensembles as Suzie LeBlanc, the Gryphon Trio, Kinan Azmeh, Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, DJ Skratch Bastid, & the symphony orchestras of Toronto and Vancouver. Wijeratne’s globally-inspired music defies categorization and seamlessly fuses incredibly wide-ranging influences. As a pianist, he leads his new world-music trio in a genre-bending set of his more improvisation-based original compositions, including a work based on poet Kahlil Gibran’s “Invisible Cities” of Italo Calvino, exploring the connections between art and nature, and what ‘home’ means to us all.  Wijeratne is joined by the incredibly versatile multi-percussionist Nick Halley, a frequent collaborator of American icon James Taylor. Tom Easley is a two-time ECMA award-winner and one of Eastern Canada’s finest jazz bassists. (Oct. 15-31, 2021) 

Inspired by the very first piece they played together, a Poulenc Sonata, Duo Cavatine is praised for its vibrant and refined musicality. Cellist Noémie Raymond-Friset and pianist Michel-Alexandre Broekaert display a dynamic and sensitive complicity, the secret of their captivating stage presence. From Bach to Schnittke, Duo Cavatine exhibits great artistic versatility in presenting a wide array of musical styles. Noémie and Michel-Alexandre are both international competition prizewinners in their respective instruments. Their great virtuosity, command of their instruments and insightful musicianship makes them one of the most prominent emerging duos. Upcoming projects of the duo include a debut album in collaboration with CBC Music and concerts across North America. Brought together by their passion for music, Duo Cavatine is first and foremost a story of a long-lasting friendship. (Nov. 12-28, 2021) 

 Ensemble ALKEMIA  is well known for its particular blend of voices, colours and ideas, and its playful exploration of vocal music, mostly a cappella, from a period covering over 1,000 years. Since the founding of Ensemble ALKEMIA, creating a deep connection between audience and the music they love to perform has been at the heart of their mission and passion. Their concerts provide listeners with the tools to better understand the historical and cultural context of the music. They use humour, staging, spatial placement, and movement to engage, uplift and entertain. The Ensemble ALKEMIA was a finalist at the 2013-2014 Opus Award for concert of the year – Montréal (all categories) with its creation Nord : chants et légendes du froid (North: songs and legends of the cold), finalist at the 2014-2015 Opus Award and the 2018-2019 Opus Award for concert of the year – Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music, with their creations Mystères | Geste polyphonique and Carpe diem. (Feb. 11-27, 2022) 

 After winning both the First Prize and the Audience Choice Award in the Barrios WorldWideWeb Competition, the First Prize in the Montreal International Classical Guitar Competition, and the ‘Governor of Tokyo’ prize in the Tokyo International Classical Guitar Competition, Tariq Harb quickly established himself as one of the leading classical guitarists of his generation. “In record time, Tariq Harb’s masterful command of melody and emotion shot him into the upper ranks of classical guitarists.” (TED Global) His playing demonstrates “not just his flawless technique but also his refined taste and a great, innate sense for truly beautiful interpretation” (The Jordan Times). Harb’s past concert appearances include engagements in North America, Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia. A Jordanian-Canadian with Palestinian roots, he joined Concordia University’s Music Department as a faculty member in Fall 2015. Tariq Harb is sponsored by Hill Guitar Company, Savarez, and LaBella Strings. (March 11-27, 2022)