Mathieu Gaudet is a Canadian classical pianist who has gained international recognition for his virtuosic performances and sensitive interpretations of a wide range of repertoire. Born in Quebec City in 1976, Gaudet began playing the piano at the age of five and quickly showed a natural talent for the instrument. He studied with several renowned teachers, including Marc Durand, André Laplante, and Leon Fleisher, and went on to earn degrees from the Conservatoire de musique de Québec and the Juilliard School in New York. Gaudet's career as a concert pianist began to take off in the early 2000s, when he won several major competitions, including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Competition, the Canadian Music Competition, and the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition. These victories led to numerous invitations to perform with orchestras and in recital throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe. One of Gaudet's most notable performances came in 2006, when he played Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Kent Nagano. The concert was broadcast live on CBC Radio and received widespread critical acclaim for Gaudet's "poetic and nuanced" interpretation of the concerto. He has also performed with other major orchestras, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the Orchestre symphonique de Québec. In addition to his work as a soloist, Gaudet is also an avid chamber musician and collaborates regularly with other musicians and ensembles. He has performed with the St. Lawrence String Quartet, the Gryphon Trio, and the New Orford String Quartet, among others. He is also a founding member of Trio Hochelaga, a piano trio that has released several critically acclaimed recordings and performed extensively throughout Canada and the United States. Gaudet's repertoire is wide-ranging and includes works by composers from Bach to Ligeti. He is particularly known for his interpretations of the music of Chopin, Schumann, and Debussy, and has recorded several albums of their works. His recording of Chopin's complete Nocturnes was praised by critics for its "elegant and refined" playing, while his recording of Schumann's Davidsbündlertänze was described as "passionate and deeply felt." Throughout his career, Gaudet has received numerous awards and honors for his performances and recordings. In 2010, he was awarded the Virginia Parker Prize by the Canada Council for the Arts, which recognizes outstanding young Canadian musicians. He has also been nominated for several Juno Awards, Canada's top music prize, for his recordings with Trio Hochelaga. Despite his success, Gaudet remains committed to his craft and continues to seek out new challenges and opportunities for growth. He is known for his meticulous preparation and attention to detail, and for his ability to connect with audiences through his playing. As he once said in an interview, "I try to make the music speak for itself, and to communicate what I feel about it.

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