Denis Brott
Encyclopedia
Denis Brott is a Canadian
cellist, music teacher and Founder & Artistic Director of the award winning Montreal Chamber Music Festival.
Born in Montreal
, the son of violinist and composer Alexander Brott
and cellist Lotte Brott.
Chamber music being his calling, Denis Brott spent eight years in the Orford String Quartet during which time he recorded 25 chamber music discs. Especially acclaimed were the recordings of the complete string quartets of Beethoven, which won the Grand Prix du Disque Award (1988) and two Juno Awards (1985, 1987) for Best Chamber Ensemble Classical Recording. In 1986 the Orford String Quartet was named Ensemble of the Year by the Canadian Music Council. Denis has appeared as guest with numerous ensembles including the Emerson
, Tokyo
and St. Lawrence String Quartets
.
His many solo recordings include the three Brahms Sonatas for cello and piano and Homage to Piatigorsky, perhaps his best known recording. It received this accolade from Yo-Yo Ma
: "His playing throughout is exemplary, full of the rich sound and technical wizardry the master exemplified. I think Piatigorsky would be proud."
Recognized for his excellence and contribution to culture, Denis Brott was honoured to receive the Great Montrealer Award for Culture. The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
selected Denis as one of four Great Montrealers in 2004 who have marked the history of Montreal and have distinguished themselves in each of the following sectors: economic, cultural, social and scientific.
(1975–1977), the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan (1978–1980), the University of Toronto
Faculty of Music (1980–1989), and the Music Academy of the West
in Santa Barbara, California (1992–2001). He held the cello chair at the Musicorda Chamber Music Institute and Festival (2005). A recent project involves bringing music classes to Montreal area high schools, mixing classical music with rap and break dancing. Mr. Brott is currently Professor of Cello and Chamber Music at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal (1989).
cello for his lifetime use.
. Denis wanted to pursue the concept of having classical music more accessible to the public, along the lines of an international chamber music festival. He approached then mayor of Montreal, Pierre Bourque
, and got a very favourable reaction to the idea. It was decided to hold the festival at The Chalet situated atop Mont Royal. In the center of the city of Montreal there are remnants of an ancient extinct volcano. Half of this was made into a park in 1876. Frederick Law Olmsted
who designed Central Park
in New York City was commissioned to landscape the new park. In 1995, the first Montreal Chamber Music Festival was held at The Chalet.
Mr. Brott has been the Festival's Artistic Director and its driving force since its inception. The mandate of the Festival is to organize an annual internationally acclaimed chamber music festival which would be held in historic locations, present internationally renowned chamber music artists and chamber music ensembles, promote the discovery of young and aspiring chamber music artists, allow promising young chamber music artists to interact with established musicians and to acquire experience essential to the development of their careers, promote exchanges between internationally renowned Canadian and foreign chamber music artists and enhance the stature of Montreal as a center for the promotion of cultural and artistic activities.
In 2006, the Festival spearheaded an exciting rejuvenation project in the heart of Montreal, known as the "Quartier des festivals". At that time, the Festival moved to the historic St. James United Church. With hand designed panels, the church is now an acoustically outstanding venue.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
cellist, music teacher and Founder & Artistic Director of the award winning Montreal Chamber Music Festival.
Born in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, the son of violinist and composer Alexander Brott
Alexander Brott
Alexander Brott, , born Joël Brod, , was a Canadian conductor, composer, violinist and music teacher. His wife Lotte was an accomplished cellist...
and cellist Lotte Brott.
Formal Training
- 1959-67: He started his training with Walter Joachim at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal.
- 1964-68 He studied with Leonard RoseLeonard RoseLeonard Rose was an American cellist and pedagogue.Rose was born in Washington, D.C., his parents were immigrants from Kiev, Ukraine...
at The Juilliard School in New York. - 1968-71: He continued his training with Janos StarkerJános StarkerJános Starker |Kingdom of Hungary]]) is a Hungarian-American cellist. Since 1958 he has taught at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he holds the title of Distinguished Professor.- Child prodigy :...
at the Indiana University in Bloomington. - 1971-75: He concluded his studies with Gregor PiatigorskyGregor PiatigorskyGregor Piatigorsky was a Russian-born American cellist.-Early life:...
at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, acting as Piatigorsky's assistant for part of his four years there.
Musical career
International attention came to Mr. Brott in 1973 when he won 2nd Prize in the Munich International Cello Competition. His concert tours have taken him to four continents and numerous festivals including Marlboro, Sitka, Santa Barbara, Banff, Festival of the Sound, where he was Artistic Director in 1991, and Toronto. He is a sought after member of international juries including the Evian International String Quartet Competition (1993), the CBC Radio National Competition for Young Performers (1997), the Munich International ARD Cello Competition (1998), and the Munich International ARD String Quartet Competition (1996, 2008).Chamber music being his calling, Denis Brott spent eight years in the Orford String Quartet during which time he recorded 25 chamber music discs. Especially acclaimed were the recordings of the complete string quartets of Beethoven, which won the Grand Prix du Disque Award (1988) and two Juno Awards (1985, 1987) for Best Chamber Ensemble Classical Recording. In 1986 the Orford String Quartet was named Ensemble of the Year by the Canadian Music Council. Denis has appeared as guest with numerous ensembles including the Emerson
Emerson String Quartet
The Emerson String Quartet is a New York–based string quartet in residence at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Previously the Quartet was in residence at The Hartt School. Formed in 1976, they have released more than twenty albums and won nine Grammy Awards. Both violinists...
, Tokyo
Tokyo String Quartet
The is an international string quartet.The group formed in 1969 at the Juilliard School of Music. The founding members attended the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo, where they studied with Professor Hideo Saito. Soon after its formation the Quartet won First Prizes at the Coleman Competition,...
and St. Lawrence String Quartets
St. Lawrence Quartet
The St. Lawrence Quartet is a Canadian string quartet, and one of Canada's premiere chamber ensembles. It was founded in 1989 and has served residencies at the Juilliard School, Yale University, the University of Toronto, the Hartt School, and Stanford University...
.
His many solo recordings include the three Brahms Sonatas for cello and piano and Homage to Piatigorsky, perhaps his best known recording. It received this accolade from Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
: "His playing throughout is exemplary, full of the rich sound and technical wizardry the master exemplified. I think Piatigorsky would be proud."
Recognized for his excellence and contribution to culture, Denis Brott was honoured to receive the Great Montrealer Award for Culture. The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is an association of businesses and businessmen in Greater Montreal. In its own words it serves as "the voice of the business community and of the people of Greater Montreal for all aspects of their economic growth and prosperity"....
selected Denis as one of four Great Montrealers in 2004 who have marked the history of Montreal and have distinguished themselves in each of the following sectors: economic, cultural, social and scientific.
Teaching career
Denis Brott has been a dedicated and passionate educator in the field of music for most of his life. He has been Professor of Cello and Chamber Music at the North Carolina School of the ArtsNorth Carolina School of the Arts
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts , formerly the North Carolina School of the Arts, is a public coeducational arts conservatory in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that grants high school, undergraduate and graduate degrees. It is one of the seventeen constituent campuses of the...
(1975–1977), the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan (1978–1980), the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
Faculty of Music (1980–1989), and the Music Academy of the West
Music Academy of the West
The Music Academy of the West is a music conservatory located in Montecito, California near Santa Barbara, California. Every year, it hosts a summer music festival for the community highlighted by concerts and workshops directed by famous composers, conductors, and artists.A yearly maximum of 135...
in Santa Barbara, California (1992–2001). He held the cello chair at the Musicorda Chamber Music Institute and Festival (2005). A recent project involves bringing music classes to Montreal area high schools, mixing classical music with rap and break dancing. Mr. Brott is currently Professor of Cello and Chamber Music at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal (1989).
Instrument Bank
In 1985, Denis Brott played a pivotal role in the creation of the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank which collects fine, rare string instruments to lend to Canadian musicians. In recognition of his efforts, the Instrument Bank gave him a magnificent 1706 David TecchlerDavid Tecchler
David Tecchler was an Austrian luthier, best known for his cellos and double basses.Tecchler was born in Salzburg, Austria, where he worked for a time. He also lived and worked in Venice and in Rome, Italy...
cello for his lifetime use.
Montreal Chamber Music Festival
In 1990, Denis Brott moved back to his birth place, MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. Denis wanted to pursue the concept of having classical music more accessible to the public, along the lines of an international chamber music festival. He approached then mayor of Montreal, Pierre Bourque
Pierre Bourque (politician)
Pierre Bourque, CQ is a businessman and politician in Quebec, Canada. He founded the Vision Montreal political party and served as mayor of Montreal from 1994 to 2001.-Background:...
, and got a very favourable reaction to the idea. It was decided to hold the festival at The Chalet situated atop Mont Royal. In the center of the city of Montreal there are remnants of an ancient extinct volcano. Half of this was made into a park in 1876. Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
who designed Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
in New York City was commissioned to landscape the new park. In 1995, the first Montreal Chamber Music Festival was held at The Chalet.
Mr. Brott has been the Festival's Artistic Director and its driving force since its inception. The mandate of the Festival is to organize an annual internationally acclaimed chamber music festival which would be held in historic locations, present internationally renowned chamber music artists and chamber music ensembles, promote the discovery of young and aspiring chamber music artists, allow promising young chamber music artists to interact with established musicians and to acquire experience essential to the development of their careers, promote exchanges between internationally renowned Canadian and foreign chamber music artists and enhance the stature of Montreal as a center for the promotion of cultural and artistic activities.
In 2006, the Festival spearheaded an exciting rejuvenation project in the heart of Montreal, known as the "Quartier des festivals". At that time, the Festival moved to the historic St. James United Church. With hand designed panels, the church is now an acoustically outstanding venue.
Solo
- 3 Sonatas for Cello & Piano: Analekta AN2 9901 (Glen Montgomery, piano)
- Johannes BrahmsJohannes BrahmsJohannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
- Sonata in E Minor, Opus 38
- Sonata in D Major, Opus 78
- Sonata in F Major, Opus 99
- Johannes Brahms
- Remembering PiatigorskyGregor PiatigorskyGregor Piatigorsky was a Russian-born American cellist.-Early life:...
: Analekta FL2 3035- (Samuel Sanders, piano; Tony RandallTony RandallTony Randall was a U.S. actor, comic, producer and director.-Early years:Randall was born Arthur Leonard Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Julia and Mogscha Rosenberg, an art and antiques dealer...
, narrator; Evan Drachman, 2nd cello) - Beglarian "Of Fables, Foibles & Fancies"
- HaydnJoseph HaydnFranz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
Divertimento - MenottiGian Carlo MenottiGian Carlo Menotti was an Italian-American composer and librettist. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept his Italian citizenship. He wrote the classic Christmas opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, among about two dozen other operas intended to appeal to popular...
Suite for 2 Cellos & Piano - Piatigorsky Syrinx for Solo Cello
- Piatigorsky Promenade for Solo Cello
- Piatigorsky Variations on the 24th Caprice of Paganini
- (Samuel Sanders, piano; Tony Randall
- Celebration: Analekta AN2 7201-2
- National Arts Centre OrchestraNational Arts Centre OrchestraThe National Arts Centre Orchestra is an orchestra in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's capital. It is a classically-sized ensemble currently conducted by Pinchas Zukerman.-Description:Since 1998, Pinchas Zukerman has been the Music Director. Mario Bernardi C.C...
25th Anniversary - (National Arts Centre Orchestra, Mario Bernardi, conductor)
- Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33
- National Arts Centre Orchestra
- BrottAlexander BrottAlexander Brott, , born Joël Brod, , was a Canadian conductor, composer, violinist and music teacher. His wife Lotte was an accomplished cellist...
Arabesque for Cello & Orchestra: Analekta ANC 9801- (McGill Chamber Orchestra, Boris Brott, conductor)
- Tribute to Piatigorsky: DFCDI-013
- (same repertoire as FL2 3035)
- Anthology of Canadian Music: CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
ACM20- Alexander Brott
- Brott Psalmody for Solo Cello
- Brott Shofar for Solo Cello
- Debussy Sonate: CBC SM185
- Schubert Introduction, Theme & Variations, Opus 82 #2
- (Charles Reiner, piano)
- Strauss Sonata in F Major, Opus 6
- (Rebecca PenneysRebecca PenneysRebecca Penneys is an American-born pianist of Russian-Jewish decent. Penneys is considered a world-class recitalist, chamber musician, orchestral soloist, educator, and adjudicator. In 1965, she was the youngest contestant to have ever entered the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw,...
, piano)
Chamber music
(recordings are as a member of the Orford String Quartet)- The Complete String Quartets of Beethoven: Delos DE 3039
- Volumes I-VIII
- Brahms Piano Quintet in F Minor, Opus 34: Sefel SEFD 5019
- (Gloria Saarinen, piano)
- Brott "Critic's Corner": SNE 516
- (Louis Charbonneau, percussion)
- Brott Songs of Contemplation
- (Maureen ForresterMaureen ForresterMaureen Kathleen Stewart Forrester, was a Canadian operatic contralto.-Life and career:Maureen Forrester was born and grew up in a poor section of Montreal, Quebec. She was one of four children to Thomas Forrester, a Scottish cabinetmaker, and his Irish-born wife, the former May Arnold. She...
, mezzo-soprano)
- Brott Ritual: CBC SMCD 504
- (CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Simon StreatfeildSimon StreatfeildSimon Streatfeild is a British-Canadian violist, conductor and teacher.Simon Nicholas Streatfeild was born in Windsor, Berkshire England in 1929. He studied viola with Frederick Riddle at the Royal College of Music from 1946 to 1950...
, conductor) - Elgar Introduction & Allegro
- Mercure Divertissement
- Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
- (CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Simon Streatfeild
- Freedman Chalumeau: Centrediscs CNCO 983
- (James CampbellJames Campbell (clarinetist)James Campbell is a Canadian/American clarinetist. James Campbell has followed his muse to five television specials, more than 40 recordings, over 30 works commissioned, a Juno Award , a Roy Thomson Hall Award, Canada's Artist of the Year and the Order of Canada...
, clarinet)
- (James Campbell
- CTL S5256
- GlickSrul Irving GlickSrul Irving Glick, CM was a Canadian composer, radio producer, conductor, and teacher.Born in Toronto, Ontario, he received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto 1955, and a Masters of Music , honorary FRCCO...
String Quartet #1: - Prevost Ahimsa
- (Robert AitkenRobert Aitken (composer)Robert Morris Aitken, is a Canadian composer and flautist. He began his career as a teenager playing in a number of orchestras, notably becoming the youngest principal flautist in the history of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in 1958 at the age if 19. In 1971 he abandoned ensemble performance...
, flute; Sandra Graham, mezzo-soprano; Elmer Iseler SingersElmer Iseler SingersThe Elmer Iseler Singers is a professional chamber choir based in Toronto, Canada.The twenty-voice choir, conducted by Artistic Director Lydia Adams], founded by Dr. Elmer Iseler in 1979, is one of Canada’s leading choral ensembles. The choir has built an international reputation through its...
) - Haydn Serenade, Opus 3 #5
- Mozart Serenade (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik)
- Riley Concerto for String Quartet & Woodwind Doubler
- (Moe KoffmanMoe KoffmanMoe Koffman, OC was a Canadian jazz musician and composer. He played the flute, soprano, alto and tenor saxophone and clarinet...
, flute, saxophone, clarinet)
- Glick
- CBC RCI550
- Hetu String Quaratet, Opus 29
- MorawetzOskar MorawetzOskar Morawetz, CM, O.Ont was a Canadian composer.Morawetz was born in Světlá nad Sázavou, Bohemia . He studied piano and theory in Prague and, following the Nazi takeover of his country in 1938, studied in Vienna and Paris, always staying one step ahead of the invading Nazis...
String Quartet #2
- Ofra HarnoyOfra HarnoyOfra Harnoy is a Canadian cellist.Harnoy moved with her family to Toronto in 1971. When she was six, she began cello lessons with her father, Jacob Harnoy...
& The Orford String Quartet Plays The Beatles: FanfareFanfare RecordsFanfare Records was a British record label that was founded by Iain Burton . The label also gave Simon Cowell his first break in the music industry. Burton and Cowell worked together at Fanfare Records for eight years. The label was most successful during the mid 1980s to early 1990s...
DFL 6002- (arrangements by Doug Riley)
- Musica Viva Mozart Quintet in A Major, K. 581
- WeberCarl Maria von WeberCarl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
Quintet, Opus 34: CBC Musica Viva MVCD1032- (James Campbell, clarinet)
- Orford Encores: Fanfare DFC 7008
- BorodinAlexander BorodinAlexander Porfiryevich Borodin was a Russian Romantic composer and chemist of Georgian–Russian parentage. He was a member of the group of composers called The Five , who were dedicated to producing a specifically Russian kind of art music...
Nocturne & Scherzo from Quartet #2 - DvorakAntonín DvorákAntonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
Waltz, Opus 54 #1 - Foster (arr. Pochon) Old Black Joe
- Gagnon Tango
- Gershwin Lullaby
- Haydn Serenade from Quartet, Opus 3 #5
- LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
-McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
(arr. Wilkins) Yesterday - MacMillan A Saint Malo
- Puccini Crisantemi
- Borodin
- Moments magiques: FMCM 2 001
- Juno Award winning album for Best Classical Recording in the Solo/Chamber Music Category
- Schubert Presto from Trio #2 Opus 100 D929
- Dvorak Poco adagio and Finale from Trio Opus 65