Jean-Paul Sevilla (born in 1934 in

French Algeria French Algeria ( until 1839, then afterwards; unofficially ; ), also known as Colonial Algeria, was the period of History of Algeria, Algerian history when the country was a colony and later an integral part of France. French rule lasted until ...

) is a French

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

and

musician A musician is someone who Composer, composes, Conducting, conducts, or Performing arts#Performers, performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general Terminology, term used to designate a person who fol ...

of Spanish descent.

Early years

He gave his first recital at the age of nine. At the age of fourteen he entered the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...

, where he obtained the First Prize in piano, as well as a unanimous Prix d'honneur (which has not been awarded since). He also received the First Prize in chamber music.

Middle years

In 1959, he was awarded unanimously the First Prize at the Geneva International Competition. His numerous tours, as soloist and chamber musician, have taken him from Europe and Africa to both Americas and Asia. Now a Canadian citizen as well, for more than twenty years, Jean-Paul Sevilla has lived in

Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

where he is now Professor Emeritus of the

University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a Official bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ot ...

, after being a full professor of piano, chamber music and piano literature at the University of Ottawa, while continuing his successful career as a concert pianist, lecturer and "clinician". He continues on numerous occasions to teach Opera at the university. Sevilla's presence in Ottawa has enriched the cultural and musical life of the city. A gifted and enthusiastic teacher, he has taught and has been the mentor of talented artists, including world-renowned pianists

Angela Hewitt Angela Hewitt (born July 26, 1958) is a Canadian classical pianist. She is best known for her Bach interpretations. Career Hewitt was born in Ottawa, Ontario, daughter of the Yorkshire-born Godfrey Hewitt (thus she also has British nationality) ...

and Guillermo Gonzalez, and chamber musician and professor of music, Andrew Tunis. He has given time and effort to promote music in Canada through the Canadian Music Competition and the Registered Music Teachers’ Association. He has also given thoughtful lessons to adult amateurs who remain his great friend. His musical and intellectual prowess has made him in high demand for courses, lectures and master classes alike. In addition, he has had many articles published in several musical journals in the United States. He is a noted expert on Fauré and Ravel whose complete works he has often performed. In 1986, he was guest professor at the Musashino University in Tokyo, and has since returned every year to Asia, adding Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia and Hong Kong to his tours. In the coming year 2007, he will give concerts, teach and give master classes in Australia. Jean-Paul Sevilla has directed summer courses in Europe (Aix en Provence, Perpignan, Toulon, Nice, Poitiers, Saint jean de Luz, Flaine, Courchevel) in Canada (Orford, Banff, Victoria) and in Korea. The courses in Aix and Perpignan were enriched by his close friends, the noted singing teacher and artist,

Noémie Pérugia Noémie Pérugia (7 November 1903 – 25 March 1992) was a French soprano. Early life Noémie Pérugia was born on 7 November, 1903, in Nice, France. Career Of Italian roots, Pérugia made her debut in Giuseppe Verdi's ''Requiem'' in 1936 and i ...

, and the highly regarded musician and pianist,

Catherine Collard Catherine Collard (11 August 1947 – 10 October 1993) was a French classical pianist. She entered the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 14, where she studied with Yvonne Lefébure and Germaine Mounier. She was awarded the first prize in piano in ...

, both now deceased. From 1997 to 2001, Jean-Paul Sevilla taught at the

Schola Cantorum The Schola Cantorum de Paris ( being ) is a private conservatory in Paris. It was founded in 1894 by Charles Bordes, Alexandre Guilmant and Vincent d'Indy as a counterbalance to the Paris Conservatoire's emphasis on opera. History The Schol ...

in Paris and from September to December 1999, he was guest Professor at the Oberlin (Ohio) Conservatory of Music. He is regularly invited as a jury member at national and international competitions such as Munich, Lisbon, Porto, Cleveland, Marsala, Senigallia, Jaen, Orléans, Cagliari, Moscow, Leipzig as well as the Paris Conservatoire, The Pro Musicis Competition, Le Concours des Grands Amateurs, the Canada Art Council, the Canadian Music Competitions etc. Jean-Paul Sevilla has released a C.D. featuring works of Vincent d'Indy and Albert Roussel and an album of two CDS "Homage to childhood" with works of Debussy, Prokovief, Ibert, Grovlez, and the world premiere of works by Pierné and Soulima Stravinsky. More recently, he has recorded works by Fauré in Japan and in France (Préludes op.103). A recent CD of the world premiere of Gabriel Pierné's Variations in C minor has just been awarded a Diapason d'Or, the highest award given by the French music magazine "Diapason". A new album including Fauré's complete Nocturnes has just been released and critically acclaimed. Jean-Paul Sevilla is an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (France).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sevilla, Jean-Paul 1934 births Living people 20th-century French male classical pianists 20th-century French classical pianists Conservatoire de Paris alumni French people of Spanish descent Academic staff of the Schola Cantorum de Paris Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 21st-century French male classical pianists 21st-century French classical pianists