Canadian pianist Henri-Paul Sicsic thrills audiences across North America and Europe with his intense, passionate and imaginative performances.
A concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician, pianist Henri-Paul Sicsic has appeared with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, the Pasadena Philharmonic, the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, the Abbotsford Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, among others. His performances have been aired in New York City on WQXR radio, on the National French program “France Musique” in other major centers in the U.S. and on the C.B.C. in Canada.
Henri-Paul Sicsic is an inspired pedagogue with a tremendous following. His strong commitment to teaching and ability to enrich and inspire young talents is legendary, and his students have distinguished themselves at the national and international levels, earning prestigious Fulbright and Canada Council grants, winning top prizes and awards at major competitions, teaching at institutions of higher education and at summer music festivals. Henri-Paul Sicsic was the first performance faculty member at the UBC School of Music to be awarded the Killam Teaching Prize, one of the highest academic honours awarded in Canada.
His teachers include Juliette Audibert-Lambert (herself a student of Gabriel Fauré and of Alfred Cortot), Pierre Sancan (Grand Prix de Rome, Paris Conservatoire), and renowned pianist and master teacher John Perry.
At the Conservatoire de Nice, France, Sicsic was awarded a first prize with honours in piano, a first prize in chamber music, and a conducting diploma. As a pianist, he also received a first prize at the Grand Prix de la Ville de Nice Competition and top prize at the Royaume de la Musique National Radio Competition in France.
Sicsic taught at Rice University from 1986 to 1992 as the associate of eminent artist-teacher John Perry. He was a member of the piano faculty at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver for thirteen years (1994-2007). He was then appointed to the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto in July of 2007 where he taught until 2014.
Henri-Paul Sicsic’s CD of Schumann’s Kreisleriana and Fantasy Op. 17 was highly praised. A more recent CD release of a live solo recital in Paris received high acclaim. The performance was a collaboration with celebrated French artist Robert Combas, whose large-scale paintings were inspired by the recital program featuring a work by Canadian composer Alexina Louie along with works by Chopin, Ravel and Albeniz.
Recent engagements include performances and master classes in France (Paris, Nice) Spain (Burgos), Russia (St Petersburg), Finland (Helsinki), Israel (Tel Aviv University, Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance), the U.S. (Houston, Seattle, New York) and Canada. Short term recording projects include the Piano Works of Maurice Ravel and an on-going project of Robert Schumann’s major Piano compositions.
Now back in Vancouver, Henri-Paul Sicsic is happy to make again his contribution to teaching and performing in the province’s wonderful music community. Sicsic is a proponent of the Alexander Technique and also studies Tai Chi Chuan. He enjoys French cuisine and is a marathon runner.
“a sovereign command of sonorities…a passion always controlled…a perfect technique” (Nice Matin)
“an artist of unquestionable musical imagination and phenomenal communicative gifts. His interpretations of the most challenging subjective compositions particularly display a wealth of musical breadth, emotional depth, and sheer fantasy.” (John Perry)
“…and if you heard his performance of Rachmaninov (B-flat minor) Sonata on the CBC, he is not to be missed” (The Vancouver Sun)
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