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Lucas Debargue

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Lucas Debargue
Born (1990-10-23) 23 October 1990 (age 35)
Paris, France
GenreClassical
OccupationsPianist, composer
InstrumentPiano
LabelSony Classical
Websitelucasdebargue.com
Official YouTube
Official Facebook
Official Instagram

Lucas Debargue (born 23 October 1990) is a French pianist and composer. He was awarded fourth prize at the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition.[1][2][3][4][5]

Early life and education

[edit]

Lucas Debargue was born in Paris, France, on 23 October 1990. He grew up in a family of non-musicians in Compiègne. His parents work in the medical field; his mother is a nurse and his father is a physiotherapist [3][6][7][8] He took his first piano lessons at the music school in Compiègne[9] at the age of 10 with teacher Christine Muenier.[10][7][11]

He stopped his piano studies at age 15,[12] as he became more interested in literature.[13] At 17, he moved to Paris to study for a degree in arts and literature at Paris Diderot University and graduated it with a Licence degree.[14][15][8]

In 2010, he was invited to perform at the Fête de la Musique festival in Compiègne, and this marked his return to the piano. When he met the piano teacher Rena Shereshevskaya who invited him to study with her at the École Normale de Musique de Paris, he joined in year 2012.[16] During this period he decided to become a professional musician.[17] Soon after they started to prepare for competitions which met with success at the Tchaikovsky Competition.[18] Lucas Debargue graduated under direction of Rena Shereshevskaya in 2016 with the school's highest recognition, the Prix Cortot.[19]

Career

[edit]

In 2015, Debargue was selected to participate in the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition. Arriving there completely unknown, his very individual performances caused furore and attracted attention.[20] The second round was the breakthrough where his expressive performance and unexpected program – the little-played Nikolai Medtner Sonata No. 1 in F Minor and Maurice Ravel "Gaspard de la Nuit" was particularly impressive. Debargue was awarded fourth prize at the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition and received the special prize of Moscow music critics.[21][3][22]

After his success, Debargue started his career quickly. In 2015 Debargue signed with Sony Classical.[23] In current time he is AMC - Artists Management Company artist[24] with general manager Franco Panozzo and collaborates with Primavera Consulting.[25]

He is performing in concert halls like Philharmonie de Paris, Carnegie Hall[26] in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, Theatre des Champs Elysées, Louis Vuitton Fondation in Paris, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Musikverein Vienna, Konzerthaus Vienna, the Prinzregententheater in Munich, Elbphilharmonie[27] in Hamburg, the Berlin Philharmonie, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Beijing National Centre for the Performing Arts, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Wuhan Qintai Concert Hall, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, Victoria Hall in Geneva, Tonhalle in Zürich, L'Auditori in Barcelona, MüPa Budapest, the Konserthuset in Stockholm, National Philharmonic Warsaw, Odessa Philharmonic, Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, the Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall, the St Petersburg Philharmonic Hall, Zaryadye Concert Hall and many others. He is a regular artist at the festivals such as Verbier festival, Tsinandali festival, Festival de La Roque-d'Anthéron[28] Festival de Pâques d'Aix-en-Provence.

Debargue has collaborated with conductors like Ludovic Morlot,[29] Lorenzo Viotti,[30] Elim Chan,[31] Esa-Pekka Salonen[32], Andrey Boreyko,[33] Laurence Equilbey[34] Tarmo Peltokoski[35] Tugan Sokhiev,[36] Sascha Goetzel, Antonello Manacorda [37], Bertrand de Billy, Roberto González-Monjas, Gabor Takacs-Nagy,[38] Andras Keller, Maxim Emelyanychev, Eugene Tzigane, Christian Schumann, Stanislav Kochanovsky, Joshua Weilerstein, Valery Gergiev, Mikhail Pletnev, Vladimir Spivakov, Vladimir Jurowski and many others.

His chamber music partners include musicians like Gidon Kremer, Klaus Mäkelä, Janine Jansen, Martin Fröst, Renaud Capucon, Edgar Moreau, Lisa Batiashvili, Daniel Hope, Kristof Barati, Camille Thomas, Marc Bouchkov, Alexandra Conunova, David Castro-Balbi, Alexandre Castro-Balbi, Eva Zavaro, Jerome Pernoo, Adrien Boisseau, Quatuor Terpsycordes, and Ébène Quartet. Debargue works regularly with Kremerata Baltica. In 2019 Gidon Kremer named him "Kremerata Baltica permanent guest".[39]

The collaboration with Sony Classical has lasted for years and under this label Debargue has released numerous albums. In 2017 Debargue was awarded ECHO Klassik prize.[40]

Since the beginning of his career, Debargue has continued composing alongside of performing. His oeuvre includes numerous chamber music pieces, such as Trio for violin, cello and piano,[41] Quatuor Symphonique for piano quartet,[42] Cello Sonata, Violin Sonata,String Quartet,[43] Piano Quintet. His works include many piano pieces, such as Toccata, Scherzo, "Menuet Triste",[44] "2ème pièce pour piano: Prelude and Fugue in G Minor",[45] "3ème pièce pour piano: Barcarolle in F Minor",[45] Suite in D Minor [46][47][48] and Concertino for piano, string orchestra and drums.[49] He has also composed vocal music: songs on the words of Charles Baudelaire.[50]

Lucas Debargue is interested in supporting French piano brands. He has a long-standing collaboration with French piano builder Stephen Paulello.[51] On Stephen Paulello's innovative Opus 102 Concert Grand, Debargue has given many concerts, including concerts at the Philharmonie de Paris.[52] On Opus 102 Concert Grand Debargue also recorded his latest album "Fauré: Complete Music for Solo Piano" for Sony Classical.[53]

In recent years, Debargue has been actively interested in talking about music and interacting on musical topics. With the release of his album "Fauré: Complete Music for Solo Piano" in 2024, Debargue also recorded a series of video interviews on the subject of Gabriel Fauré. [54]In 2025, he was a guest on video podcasts of French pianists, popular youtubers and influencers French Piano Guys – Aurélien Froissart [55] and Julien Cohen [6] and Etienne Guéreau.[56] He has also written several essays on musical topics.[57] They have been compiled on the Medium site.[58]

In 2017 a documentary directed by Martin Mirabel (Bel Air productions), "Lucas Debargue: To Music", was released. Documentary received International Classical Music Award for the best music documentary in year 2021[59] and was selected for the FIPA in Biarritz in 2018.[60][61]

Compositions

[edit]

Chamber Music

  • Concertino, for piano, string orchestra and drums (2017), premiered by the composer and Kremerata Baltica in Cesis (Latvia).[62][63]
  • Quatuor Symphonique, for piano quartet (2018), premiered in the Centre de Musique de Chambre de Paris by the composer and Eva Zavaro (violin), Adrien Boisseau (viola) and Jerome Pernoo (cello).[64][65]
  • Trio No 1, for violin, cello and piano (2019), premiered in Théâtre des Champs-Elysées by the composer and David Castro-Balbi (violin) Alexandre Castro-Balbi (cello).[66]
  • Sonata for cello and piano (2019)
  • Sonata for violin and piano (2020), commissioned and premiered for festival « Les Vacances de Monsieur Haydn » by Eva Zavaro and the composer
  • String Quartet No1 « Aus Wien » (2021) premiered for festival « Les Vacances de Monsieur Haydn »
  • String Quartet No2 « Élégie » (2022) premiered in Victoria Hall, Geneva, by the Terpsycordes string quartet [67]
  • Piano Quintet for 2 violins, viola, cello and piano (2023)
  • Trio No 2, for violin, cello and piano (2025), commissioned and premiered for Festival des Forêts by the composer and David Castro-Balbi (violin) Alexandre Castro-Balbi (cello)

Piano solo

  • Toccata in B Minor (2019) [68]
  • Scherzo in A Minor (2020)
  • 2ème pièce pour piano: Prelude and Fugue in G Minor (2020)
  • 3ème pièce pour piano: Barcarolle in F Minor (2020)
  • Mazurka No1 in B flat Major (2022)
  • Menuet Triste in F sharp Minor (2023)
  • Mazurka No2 in E Major (2024)
  • Suite in D Minor, in 5 parts (2024) : French overture, Pantomime, Sarabande, War Minuet and Gigue.

Discography

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Solo recordings

[edit]
Release dateAlbumLabel
8 April 2016Scarlatti, Chopin, Liszt, RavelSony Classical
23 September 2016Bach, Beethoven, MedtnerSony Classical
27 October 2017Schubert, SzymanowskiSony Classical
4 October 2019 Scarlatti 52 Sonatas Sony Classical
8 March 2024 Fauré: Complete Music for Solo Piano Sony Classical
11 September 2026 Gershwin Variations Sony Classical

Collaboration albums

[edit]
Release date Album Partners Label
3 November 2017 Messiaen : Quatuor pour la fin du temps Martin Fröst, Janine Jansen, Torleif Thedéen Sony Classical
27 August 2021 Zal - The Music of Miłosz Magin Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica Sony Classical
31 March 2023 Mozart: Ecstasy & Abyss Martin Fröst, Swedish Chamber Orchestra Sony Classical
9 June 2023 The Chopin Project : Trilogy Camille Thomas, Julien Brocal, Daniel Hope, Frans Helmerson

et al.

 Deutsche Grammophon

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "News". tchaikovskycompetition.com. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  2. ↑ "Lucas Debargue : le pianiste français porté en triomphe à Moscou". Le HuffPost (in French). 15 July 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "Q&A Special: Pianist Lucas Debargue". theartsdesk.com. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  4. ↑ Roux, Marie-Aude (21 April 2016). "Lucas Debargue, tout entier possédé par le piano". Le Monde (in French). ISSN 1950-6244. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  5. ↑ Saliceti, Madeleine (8 July 2015). "Résultats de la quinzième édition du concours Tchaïkovski". France Musique (in French). Retrieved 12 August 2026.
  6. 1 2 French Piano Guys (7 March 2025). Lucas Debargue, de caissier Monoprix à star internationale du piano : son parcours hors-norme. Retrieved 28 April 2025 – via YouTube.
  7. 1 2 "Lucas Debargue, le pianiste venu d'ailleurs : un podcast à écouter en ligne". France Musique (in French). Retrieved 12 August 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Lucas Debargue - Munzinger Biographie". www.munzinger.de. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Compiègne : Lucas Debargue gagne ses galons de pianiste virtuose en Russie". Le Parisien.
  10. ↑ "Lucas Debargue – mit Entdeckergeist".
  11. ↑ "Lucas Debargue/Christine Muenier, l'interview croisée | C'est à Compiègne". www.cestacompiegne.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Lucas Debargue (Piano) - Short Biography". www.bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  13. ↑ Hewett, Ivan (10 October 2016). "Lucas Debargue: 'The French have a problem with self-hatred'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  14. ↑ "Fondation Louis Vuitton BIO".
  15. ↑ "Meet Lucas Debargue, the Young Classical Pianist Breaking All the Rules". KQED. 9 February 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  16. ↑ "Lucas Debargue". Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "Crowd Favorite - Steinway & Sons". www.steinway.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  18. ↑ Debuys, Valérie (12 September 2020). "LUCAS DEBARGUE Pianiste et Compositeur". Paris-Moscou (in French). Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "Lucas Debargue". Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  20. ↑ Thompson, Damian (18 July 2015). "The real winner in the Tchaikovsky competition is the man who came last". The Spectator. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  21. ↑ "News". tchaikovskycompetition.com. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  22. ↑ Avril, Pierre (2 July 2015). "Lucas Debargue, prodige singulier". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  23. ↑ "Label news: Sony signs cool hands Luke - Slipped Disc". Slipped Disc. 17 December 2015.
  24. ↑ "AMC - Lucas Debargue".
  25. ↑ "Primavera Consulting".
  26. ↑ Kliszus, Edward A. (4 February 2024). "Pianist Lucas Debargue at Carnegie Hall". OpeningNight.Online. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  27. ↑ Richter, Elisabeth (17 January 2026). "Konzert in Hamburg: Eigenwillige Mazurken – Lucas Debargue begeistert in der Elbphilharmonie". www.abendblatt.de (in German). Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  28. ↑ "Fascinant Lucas Debargue, pianiste-compositeur à la Roque d'Anthéron | RMTnews International". www.rmtnewsinternational.com (in French). Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  29. ↑ "Lucas Debargue with Ludovic Morlot in Auditori".
  30. ↑ "Lorenzo Viotti & Lucas Debargue: Szymanowski and Rachmaninoff". The Concertgebouw. 22 April 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  31. ↑ "Orchestre de Paris / Elim Chan | Philharmonie Live, Philharmonie de Paris". philharmoniedeparis.fr. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  32. ↑ "VF2026 07 17 1830 VFO / ESA-PEKKA SALONEN". Verbier Festival. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  33. ↑ barczablog (14 April 2017). "TSO Maundy Thursday matinee". barczablog. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  34. ↑ "Lucas Debargue returns to Insula - in Chopin". Classical Explorer. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  35. ↑ "VERBIER FESTIVAL - Peltokoski, direction - Lucas Debargue, piano - Ravel, Gershwin, Mozart". rts.ch (in French). 2 April 2025. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  36. ↑ "Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse / Tugan Sokhiev | Philharmonie Live, Philharmonie de Paris". philharmoniedeparis.fr. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  37. ↑ "Manacorda & Brahms' 2". Live Klassisk (in Danish). Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  38. ↑ "Lucas & Gábor". locg.ch. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  39. ↑ "Lucas Debargue and Georgijs Osokins become first permanent guest artists of Kremerata Baltica – Kremerata Baltica". Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  40. ↑ "ECHO Klassik 2017: Der Pianist Lucas Debargue im Porträt". concerti.de. 23 October 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  41. ↑ "Lucas Debargue performs his own Piano Trio — With Alexandre and David Castro-Balbi". medici.tv. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  42. ↑ "Lucas Debargue (piano) and friends". www.mariinsky.ru. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  43. ↑ "Lucas Debargue, Quatuor Terpsycordes: Debargue, Franck | mezzo.tv". www.mezzo.tv. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  44. ↑ "Lucas Debargue: Fauré - Fondation Singer-Polignac - Part 2 | mezzo.tv". www.mezzo.tv. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  45. 1 2 "Lucas Debargue plays Fauré, Ravel, Delplace and Debargue | mezzo.tv". www.mezzo.tv. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  46. ↑ "Fri, 16 Jan 2026 19:30 Lucas Debargue, piano". www.elbphilharmonie.de. 16 January 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  47. ↑ "Lucas Debargue's concert at Salle Pierre-Mercure - my/MaSCENA". 3 April 2025.
  48. ↑ Philharmonie de Paris (4 April 2025). Lucas Debargue – Gigue | Moment musical. Retrieved 28 April 2025 – via YouTube.
  49. ↑ "Lucas Debargue". kremeratabaltica.com. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  50. ↑ Klarthe (11 January 2023). "Variations Secrètes" Victoria Shereshevskaya / Alexandra Soumm / Rémi Geniet / KLARTHE RECORDS. Retrieved 28 April 2025 – via YouTube.
  51. ↑ "STRINGS & PIANOS – Stephen Paulello, innovative pianos and music wires maker".
  52. ↑ "Lucas Debargue | Philharmonie de Paris".
  53. ↑ "Lucas Debargue – A Matter of Life or Death". 17 April 2024.
  54. ↑ Carrive, Pierre (1 April 2024). "Le Fauré hors-normes de Lucas Debargue". Crescendo Magazine (in French). Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  55. ↑ "French Piano Guys". YouTube. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  56. ↑ Piano Jazz Concept (22 March 2025). Lucas Debargue : « une interprétation est un commentaire de texte ». Retrieved 28 April 2025 – via YouTube.
  57. ↑ Gault, Philippe (1 December 2025). "Le pianiste Lucas Debargue remet en cause la notion de « musique classique » et dénonce l'influence néfaste de la critique". Radio Classique (in French). Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  58. ↑ "Lucas Debargue - Page 84 - Pianomajeur.net". www.pianomajeur.net (in French). Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  59. ↑ "Winners 2021 - ICMA | ICMA".
  60. ↑ Lucas Debargue: To Music, retrieved 14 June 2019
  61. ↑ "Lucas Debargue : tout à la musique". FIPA, Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  62. ↑ "Cesis, Latvia – Kremerata Baltica". Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  63. ↑ ""Homage a Orfee" - Music and Poetry". kremeratabaltica.com. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  64. ↑ "Centre de musique de chambre de Paris | Boeuf de Chambre". Centre de musique de chambre de Paris (in French). Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  65. ↑ "Works of pianist-composer Lucas Debargue ( 1990 - ) - The Classical Music Guide Forums". classicalmusicguide.com. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  66. ↑ "Debargue et les frères Castro-Balbi : brillant point de fusion". Classicagenda (in French). 3 April 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  67. ↑ "Lucas Debargue, Quatuor Terpsycordes: Debargue, Franck | mezzo.tv". www.mezzo.tv. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  68. ↑ "Lucas Debargue makes a distinguished recital debut at Carnegie Hall". bachtrack.com. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
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